Sebastian Specht studied cartography at the University of Applied Sciences Dresden from 1996 to 2000 (engineering degree) and Digital Media at the University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven, the University of Bremen and the University of the Arts Bremen from 2004 to 2007 (M.Sc.). He is working as a cartographer, software developer and researcher, first at the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography Leipzig, department of cartography and visual communication (from 2001 to 2016), and at OFFIS Oldenburg, department Data Management and Analysis for Health Services Research, since 2017. He uses data science methods to create better visualisations and is happy when people gain new insights through his interactive maps or simply enjoy beautiful visualisations. Beyond that, his family, their bicycles and his post as honorary board member of a citizens' energy cooperative keep him busy.

Aida Eshak Bedri studied Public Health B.A. and Epidemiology M.Sc. in the period between 2014-2020 in the University of Bremen. As part of a three-semester long group project, she was involved in designing and conducting a cross-sectional study about the relationship between allergic diseases and critical life-events. Her master’s thesis was a rapid review of systematic reviews to explore the question if there were any indications of a change in objectively measured energy expenditure or physical activity over time in the general population within the context of the obesity epidemic. During her master’s studies, she also worked as a student assistant in the SOCIUM, a social science research institute in the University of Bremen that deals with, inter alia, healthcare policies. There, she conducted literature research for reproductive health rights and was involved in coding documents from the EU-Commission and EU-Council about the health care policy recommendations for several EU nations.

Starting from September 2021, Aida Bedri is working in the department of general medicine at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. She is responsible for the management and development of Subproject 2: Management and treatment of nosocomial- and community-related urinary tract infections in Dutch and German healthcare settings and their influence on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance bacteria.

Yvet Mooiweer, born in 1996, studied the bachelor and master in human movement sciences at the University of Groningen (RUG) from 2014 to 2019. In the master phase of her study she focussed on rehabilitation practices. As part of her study she did an internship at the department for hepatobiliary surgery of the Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen (UMCG) considering the prehabilitation of patients with liver or pancreatic cancer. This resulted in her Master’s thesis in which she studied the relationship between preoperative physical functioning and postoperative functional recovery of patients having a major abdominal surgery. After the completion of her studies she worked for one year at the department for orthopaedics of the UMCG. As part of the PAIR (Physical ActIvity after knee or hip Replacement) project, she was responsible for an analysis of the literature considering the physical activity of patients after hip or knee replacement. 

Since March 2021 she has started working on subproject 3, about the influence of patient and health system characteristics on outcome after total hip arthroplasty, as part of the division of organizational health services research of the Department for Health Services Research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg (UOL) and the Department for Orthopaedics of the UMCG.

Alexander is a research assistant at the department for health services research at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. He holds a master degree in public health by the University of Bremen and recently, he finished his PhD thesis at the University of Oldenburg. Currently, he is working for the CBI Phase I project (Comparison of healthcare structures, processes and outcomes in the Northern German and Dutch cross-border region, CHARE-GD I) on health care provision differences between German and Dutch nursing home residents.

Sophie Stroisch holds a Bachelor's degree in Geography from the Freie Universität Berlin and a Master’s degree in Population Studies from the University of Groningen. She is currently pursuing a PhD double degree in Demography from the University of Groningen and Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg. Her dissertation focuses on population health and mortality differences in European cross-border regions. In addition to her research interests, she has a passion for programming and design. She enjoys creating interactive dashboards and other types of data visualizations to make her research more accessible to a wider audience. Before her current role as a PhD researcher, she worked as a Data Analyst in the Dutch public sector.

Vaitiare Mulderij-Jansen holds a bachelor's in nutrition and Dietetics from the HAN University of Applied Sciences and a master's in Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health from Wageningen University & Research. In May 2023, she received her PhD from the University of Groningen. During her PhD, she focussed on understanding decision-making processes, health-seeking behaviour, social amplification of risk, and health system preparedness and performance regarding mosquito-borne infectious diseases (dengue, chikungunya and Zika) in the Americas. She applied different theoretical frameworks and qualitative and quantitative research methods, which resulted in various scientific publications. Since April 2023, she has started working at the UMCG, at the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention,  as a post-doc researcher. Her post-doc research focuses on the decision-making processes of general practitioners and patients regarding antibiotic prescriptions for upper respiratory tract infections in the Northern Dutch-German border region. Vaitiare's work will highlight healthcare system differences and provide policymakers with context-specific data to improve policies and interventions focused on reducing antibiotic resistance in the Ems-Dollart region.

Francine Vos is a dedicated medical professional with a comprehensive background in medicine, having completed studies at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) from 2014 to 2021. Transitioning into the role of a doctor at the Surgery Department of University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Francine acquired valuable clinical experience.

Francine embarked on a new chapter in her career as a medical researcher. Currently engaged in a study, Francine's work focuses on uncovering the cross-border incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) related to breast implants (BI) and vascular grafts (VG). The project aims to identify causative micro-organisms, analyze variations in protocols and guidelines, and pinpoint best practices in BI and VG surgeries.

The ultimate objective is to elevate healthcare quality in the northern NL-DE cross-border region, reducing infection rates, antibiotic resistance, implant loss, disability, and mortality among patients. Francine's work may also contribute to the development of e-health tools for implementing and monitoring new guidelines and protocols to prevent SSIs and antibiotic resistance.

Her dedication extends to a retrospective cohort study, examining data from approximately 1000 patients who underwent BI and VG surgeries over the last decade in hospitals across northern Netherlands and Germany. Additionally, she is conducting a cross-border quantitative electronic survey to compare relevant protocols, guidelines, and standard operating procedures in participating hospitals on both sides of the border, shedding light on healthcare system differences.

Through a commitment to medical research and the improvement of patient outcomes, Francine Vos aspires to contribute significantly to the advancement of healthcare practices in the cross-border region and beyond.

Cansu Cimen, born in 1988, graduated from Istanbul University, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty in 2012. She specialized in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology from 2012 to 2018, followed by service as an Infectious Disease and Infection Control Physician during her mandatory term from 2018 to 2020. In 2020, she worked in Istanbul, providing dedicated care to patients affected by COVID-19. Since March 2021, she has been working on CHARE-GD II Subproject-4  "Multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) - analysis of differences in infection prevention and control measures, diagnostic workup and MDR prevalence in the Ems-Dollart region".

Helge Schnack, born in 1990, studied political science, economics, and social sciences from 2012 to 2020 in Münster and Oldenburg. During his masters program, he focused on organizational theory and wrote his master thesis about physician shortages in German hospitals. Since June 2020, he has been employed at the department of organizational health service research and is currently working as a research assistant. He is also pursuing a PhD. In his sub-project, he examines how hospitals in the Northern German-Dutch border region deal with nurse shortages.