Work

Publications

Sell, P., Plass, D., Kienzler, S. & Zeeb, H. Environmental burden of disease resulting from long-term nitrogen dioxide exposure in Germany. BMC Public Health 25, 79 (2025). doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-21200-6

Sell, P., Murawski, A., Kolossa-Gehring, M. & Plass, D. Beyond point estimates: Probabilistic burden of disease modelling of lead-related IQ loss in Germany. European Journal of Public Health 35(Supplement 4) (2025). doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaf161.1317

Sell, P., Sanchez, M., Palmont, P., Steiger, S. & Plass, D. Quantifying uncertainty: A comparison of Bayesian and frequentist meta-analytic frameworks applied to lead exposure and children’s IQ. Environment International (submitted)

Experience

2024–present

Researcher — German Environment Agency (UBA)
Working on probabilistic Environmental Burden of Disease (EBD) methods within the PARC project. Led a working group with the aim of harmonizing EBD methods within PARC. Led a case study on uncertainty quantification in EBD studies (to be published in 2026). Conducted a methodological comparison of Bayesian and frequentist meta-analytic frameworks applied to lead exposure and IQ in children — submitted.

2023

Research Assistant — Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology (BIPS)
Worked on a health survey project at the Department of Epidemiological Methods and Etiological Research.

2021–2023

Student-led research project — University of Bremen
Research question: How is accessibility to neighborhood greenspace associated with mental wellbeing in residents of the city Bremen?

2020 - 2021

Internship — Charité Berlin
Five months at the NAKO study center, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics.

Skills

R (see posts)
Data analyses, incl. Bayesian methods
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Writing and publishing scientific papers
Leading and organizing a working group (PARC)
Burden of Disease methods
Health risk assessment of chemicals
Working in interdisciplinary teams
Presenting results at conferences (e.g. EPH conference)

Education

2021 - 2024

M.Sc. Epidemiology — University of Bremen
Thesis: Environmental Burden of Disease assessment of long-term nitrogen dioxide exposure in Germany, published in BMC Public Health (doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-21200-6).

2018–2021

B.A. Public Health — University of Bremen
Thesis: Vulnerability of persons with low socioeconomic status to COVID-19 due to air pollution - A systematic literature review.

Awards

Master’s Thesis Award (1st Prize) – Awarded 2024 by the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention.

Conferences

2026 | Oral

Quantifying uncertainty: A methodological comparison of Bayesian and frequentist meta-analytic frameworks
Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE), Munich, 2026.

2025 | Oral

EBD of IQ loss attributable to lead exposure in Germany: a probabilistic approach
International One Health Symposium (OHS), Berlin.

2025 | Oral

EBD of IQ loss attributable to lead exposure in Germany: a probabilistic approach
Annual Conference of the German Society for Epidemiology (DGEpi), Münster.

2025 | Poster

Beyond Point Estimates: Probabilistic Burden of Disease Modelling of Lead-Related IQ Loss in Germany
European Public Health Conference (EPH), Helsinki. Published abstract: doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaf161.1317.

2024 | Poster

EBD resulting from Long-Term Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure in Germany
Annual Conference of the German Society for Epidemiology (DGEpi), Dresden. Published abstract: doi: 10.3205/24gmds827.