Driving Digital Health Innovation

As we mark our 10th anniversary in December 2025, we continue to highlight the people and projects that shape the Foundation’s ecosystem and the ambition that drives them.

Just a bike ride away from the Foundation’s office is the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI). Here, we meet Linea Schmidt, a PhD student in Digital Health Economics and Policy. Linea is exploring how digital innovation can reshape healthcare.

Under the guidance of Prof. Ariel Stern, Linea is conducting research deeply rooted in real-world data analysis, focusing on emerging healthcare models like remote patient monitoring, disease management programs, and digital health apps — areas rapidly transforming how care is delivered today.

Since 2020, Linea has experienced the collaborative spirit fostered by HPI, one of the flagship initiatives of the Hasso Plattner Foundation. She points to projects spanning continents, including a joint study with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York examining the impact of remote patient monitoring across patient groups.

“My research is driven by the potential of digital innovation combined with interdisciplinary teamwork,” Linea explains. “Many healthcare regulations were designed long before technologies like artificial intelligence became common. I’m excited that our insights could help shape policies that reflect today’s realities.”

One of the standout initiatives Linea helps lead is the Digital Health Spark course, where students spend hours shadowing clinicians at Vivantes hospitals. There, they identify pressing healthcare challenges and develop solutions inspired by direct experience. This hands-on approach has spurred students to write master theses and even launch startups focused on meaningful change.

Recent collaborations have extended beyond the classroom: a master project produced a comprehensive database of digital health clinical trials in Germany and the US, working closely with Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) to recommend improvements for their registry.

“I’m especially energized by the network we’ve built — from Mount Sinai in New York to alumni now active at Düsseldorf’s University Hospital,” Linea says. “These partnerships build bridges across institutions and disciplines.”

Despite the occasional uncertainty inherent in academic research, Linea draws strength from the conversations she shares with colleagues, students, and her friends. Outside the lab, she balances work with fitness, paddleboarding in summer, and an occasional sweet treat.

Looking ahead, Linea hopes the Hasso Plattner Foundation will continue to champion international and interdisciplinary collaborations because, she says, “Great ideas often start with great conversations.” She also envisions increased support for early-stage digital health startups navigating complex regulations, and entrepreneurship training embedded in PhD programs to foster deep-tech innovation. A particularly exciting possibility for the future? A “Bio Maker Space” to spark new advances at the intersection of health and biotechnology.

As the Foundation celebrates its 10th anniversary, Linea’s story reflects a shared ambition with HPI: to build connections and harness innovation that improve people's lives — one insight, one collaboration, one breakthrough at a time.

For our anniversary, we are sharing stories from across our ecosystem – snapshots of the people and ideas that drive them. New stories will appear on our anniversary page until December 2025. We invite you to follow along – and perhaps, find inspiration of your own.