Curriculum Vitae - Karina Sturm

Karina, a woman with super short brown hair is wearing a black hat and has her hand on top of the hat to take it off. She wears huge, feather-like earrings and lipstick. — Karina Sturm: medical assistant, laboratory technician, and today, journalist, writer, and advocate

Whenever I need stories that do not portray people living with chronic conditions as ‘patients’ or ‘sufferers,’ but as people that face their illness with courage, strength, and hope, I give Karina a call and reserve the front page.
Raoul Mazhar – Editor-in-chief Austrian Ärzte Woche

Education

September 2002 – June 2006

Three year standardized education as medical assistant and permanent position in medical offices:

Dr. Bauer/ Ehrengut/ Wonka in Neumarkt, Germany

Final grade: 1.33 (resembles grade A)

Exam: 1.7 (resembles grade B)

Main focus:

Care for complex, mostly chronically ill patients
Guidance and examination of diabetic patients
Diagnostic testing such as ECG, geriatric diagnostics, vital parameters, cancer screening
Assistance during outpatient surgeries
Phlebotomy, injections
Responsible for office hygiene

September 2006 – July 2009

Three year standardized study as laboratory technician at the Staatliche Berufsfachschule B8 in Nürnberg, Germany

Final grade: 1.04 (resembles 21 subjects with grade A, one subject with grade B)

Exam: 1.3 (grade A)

Resulted in admission to a program that supports students with extraordinary talents

August 2009 – December 2012

Department Biology, Chair of Biotechnology, University of Erlangen Prof. Yves Muller

Researching bacterial effector proteins, in particular SiiE from Salmonella

Main focus:

Chromatography
Cultivation of bacterial expression systems
Protein biochemistry and crystallography
Lectures and presentations
Lab management
Support for students
Documentation and review of results in scientific publications

2013 – today

Disabled due to illness

Freelance journalist and award-winning filmmaker

My work centers around medicine, science, chronic illness and disability with a focus on the accurate representation of people with disabilities.

January 2018 – 2020

Edinburgh Napier University; Masters of Arts with distinction in international journalism for media professionals

Winner of the class medal for outstanding journalistic and academic work

Internships

August 2018 (5 weeks) – Belo Cipriani

Creating visual content for Belo Cipriani’s YouTube channel:

“Firsts” is a mini documentary series about several authors contributing to the book “Firsts – Coming of Age Stories by People with Disabilities” by Belo Cipriani.

September/October 2018 (5 weeks) – The Mighty

Working with the video department

Editing articles of The Mighty contributors & creating original content

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome newsletter