3D Animation and the Search for Meaning

When I started university, I intended to pursue a career in 3D animation and VFX (visual effects). At the time, I didn’t know yet that this would just be the first of several degree programmes I’d study. I studied 3D animation and VFX until shortly before completing my bachelor’s degree – only about one semester remained. However, I increasingly came to realise that something essential was missing from this career path. Whilst I enjoyed the work, I missed having a greater sense of purpose behind what I was doing. This realisation led me to change my degree programme, despite being so close to finishing. In my search for a path that would allow for a more meaningful career later on, I came across Effective Altruism (EA) – initially through 80,000 Hours (which kept appearing in my Google searches) and a TED talk on effective giving by Peter Singer.

Reorienting My Studies

At first, I only engaged with EA theoretically, through articles, EA Forum posts, and the 80,000 Hours podcast. This led me to the decision to study economics. At that point, the unjust distribution of wealth globally in particular seemed like something I wanted to dedicate my career to. Global health and development, as well as global wealth inequality, were my primary concerns.

Exchange with the EA Community

My relationship with EA changed during my final year of studying economics at the University of Hong Kong, where there was a very active EA community. There, I was no longer engaging with EA ideas alone, but could exchange thoughts and meet people with similar goals for the first time – this experience was very formative for me. That’s also how I learnt about a workshop on existential risks in Oxford. This workshop then fundamentally changed my path: Through many intensive conversations with community members, I was convinced to focus on biosecurity.

And so, this year, I’ll be completing a Master’s degree in Public Health, specialising in epidemiology at the Charité in Berlin. As for EA events, Oxford was just the starting point – since then I’ve attended many EA conferences and have gotten to know the community well. This support has also given me stability during the transitions in my studies, which weren’t always easy.

Intersection of Global Health and Biosecurity

Currently, my main focus is on biosecurity and global health. I’m presently working as a student assistant at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin, more specifically at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance. There, I can work directly at the intersection of global health and biosecurity.

I consider antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to be one of the most severely underestimated risks of our time. Current estimates suggest that AMR already causes over one million deaths annually, with the trend increasing. AMR has the potential to be not only a massive global health problem, but also an existential biosecurity risk. A world where antibiotics no longer work would be fundamentally more vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic biological threats. Moreover, AMR disproportionately affects low-income countries and households. Despite this enormous significance, I see AMR as heavily neglected within the EA community. The intersection between AMR, pandemic prevention, and biosecurity offers tremendous opportunities for impactful interventions, particularly in the area of infection prevention and control (IPC).

My Newsletter on Biosecurity and AI

In addition to my studies and my work at the RKI, I write a newsletter with Pierce Manglangit on developments in artificial intelligence and biosecurity. Here too, we’re trying to reduce the siloed thinking of individual cause areas. The risks and potential at this intersection are so substantial that we consider it extremely important for the community to stay up to date –  especially since technology develops exponentially, whilst our governance structures and security mechanisms lag behind linearly.

Giving out of Conviction

Alongside my professional focus, I donate 10% of my income through Effektiv Spenden (German for effective giving), primarily to GiveDirectly. This is based on the same conviction that originally motivated me to study economics: no one chose which country they were born in or what resources they grew up with. As someone with enormous privileges, I see it as my responsibility to share these and enable others to have the chance of a better life.