Health Psychology

Melanie Saumer

Postdoctoral Researcher

Wächtergasse 1 / 504 / Raum D10

melanie.saumer@univie.ac.at

Christian von Sikorski

  • AI-based personalized nutrition
  • Media psychology
  • Online hostility influence on (minority) targets and bystanders
  • Citizen Science

Positions

  • Since 2026: Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna
  • 2021-2026: Praedoctoral Researcher at the Department of Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna
  • 2017-2021: Research Assistant at the Department of Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna

Education

  • 2021-2026: PhD in Communication Science (summa cum laude), University of Vienna
  • 2019-2021: MSc in Communication Science, University of Vienna
  • 2016-2020: BA in Political Science, University of Vienna
  • 2015-2019: BA in Mass Media and Communication Science, University of Vienna

Awards and honors:

  • 2025: Top Faculty Paper Award | Mobile Communication Division | ICA conference, Denver, USA
  • 2024: 3rd Place Top Paper Award | Communication Theory and Methodology Division | AEJMC conference, Philadelphia, USA
  • 2023: 2nd Place Top Paper Award | Communication Theory and Methodology Division | AEJMC conference, Washington D.C., USA
  • 2022: 1st Place Klaus Schönbach Research Award | Competitive research funding | Department of Communication, University of Vienna
  • 2019: 1st Place Top Faculty Paper Award | Journalism Studies Division | ICA conference, Washington D.C., USA 
     

Third-party funding

  • 2024 - 2026: Doctoral Fellowship Programme (DOC) for the dissertation „Fifty shades of digital health: Disentangeling target and bystander experiences of anti-LGBTQIA+ online hostility“, funded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW)
  • 2024: Short-Term Grant Abroad (KWA) for a two-months research stay at the Depratment of Psychology, University of Maryland, USA; funded by the University of Vienna
     

Matthes, J., Koban, K., Bührer, S., Kirchmair, T., Weiß, P., Khaleghipour, M., Saumer, M., & Meerson, R. (2026). The state of evidence in digital hate research: An umbrella review. Communication Research, 53(6), 867-896. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502251365724

Saumer, M., Koban, K., & Matthes, J. (2026). Fantastic bystanders and where to find them: Do emotions fuel (in)direct interventions when bystanders face anti-LGBTQIA+ hostility on social media? Mass Communication and Society . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2026.2687034

Saumer, M., Koban, K., & Matthes, J. (2026). Digital she-nanigans: Social media users’ response toward online hostilities targeting a female science communicator with marginalized identities. New Media & Society, 28(7), 3186-3209. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448251342242

Saumer, M., Maikovska, K., Neureiter, A., Cepelova, A., van Scharrel, H., & Matthes, J. (2026). Angry tweets: How uncivil and intolerant elite communication affects political distrust and political participation intentions. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 23(2), 155-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2024.2433760

Saumer, M., Koban, K., & Matthes, J. (2026). Nudging against judging? Mitigating anti-LGBTQIA + online hostility by raising bystanders’ awareness and behavioral intentions. Information, Communication & Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2026.2636134

Binder, A., Matthes, J., Heiss, R., Spielvogel, I. K., Forrai, M., Knupfer, H., Saumer, M., & Naderer, B. (2025). How healthy and unhealthy food and beverages appear in movies and series for children: A comprehensive content analysis. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 57(5), 385-394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2025.01.012

Saumer, M., Neureiter, A., Varga, É. M., Gataric, V., Liu, C. Y., & Matthes, J. (2025). Artificial presence, real-life influence? Effects of CGI influencers on young adults’ health behavior intentions. Cyberpsychology : journal of psychosocial research on cyberspace, 19(2), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2025-2-3

Noronha dos Reis, I., Harm, K., Saumer, M., Neureiter, A., & Matthes, J. (2025). Fem-vertised and fem-washed advertising on Instagram: How do they affect the attitude towards the brand and purchase intention? In D. Gunina, & M. K. J. Waiguny (Eds.), Advances in advertising research XIII: Frontiers of advertising: Re-considering its shapes and forms (1 ed., pp. 145–159). Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43936-1_10

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