Assoc.-Prof. Dr. Katharina Heimerl, MPH
Contact Details
Department of Nursing Science
Alser Straße 23, 1080 Vienna, Austria
Top 12 / Room 1.15
T: +43-1-4277-49814
E-Mail: katharina.heimerl@univie.ac.at
Research Interest
- palliative care
- palliative geriatics
- caring community
- participatory research
Profile
Katharina Heimerl has been researching the topics of dying, death and bereavement for many years. She has been an associate professor at the Institute of Nursing Science at the University of Vienna since 2018.
She holds a doctorate in medicine from the University of Vienna and trained as a general practitioner. She first became involved with critical gerontology and participatory research while studying for a Master of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley. From 1995 to 2018, she held various management positions as a research associate at the IFF (Faculty of Interdisciplinary Research and Continuing Education), Institute for Palliative Care and Organizational Ethics. She received her Venia Legendi in 2006 in Palliative Care and Organizational Development at the University of Klagenfurt.
Today, Katharina uses narrative and participatory methods to conduct research with people at the end of life and with people with dementia, as well as with those who care for them, often in intergenerational exchange. She is committed to caring communities and compassionate communities and supports corresponding projects with participatory health research.
Katharina is also a founding member of the Fachgesellschaft für Palliative Geriatrie [association for palliative geriatrics] and member of the core team of the network palliative and community care.
Other Websites and Links
Courses
Publications (Selection)
- Heimerl Katharina, Spalt Martina, Reitinger Elisabeth, Haider Marco, Just Michaela, Kluckner Clara, Radinger Oliver, Rebitzer Gerlinde, Schönfelder Birgit (2025): Uncertainty, trust and voluntariness. Key elements of teaching and learning participatory health research in nursing science in the university context. Educational action research, submitted
- Tatzer, Verena C., Pichler Barbara, Reitinger Elisabeth, Marquardt Gesine & Heimerl Katharina (2024): 'How can public organizations, transportation systems and spaces be made more dementia-friendly? Findings from Participatory Health Research and Architecture.' in K. Charras, Hogervorst, E., Wallcook, S., Kuliga, S., & Woods, B. (Eds.): Creating Empowering Environments for People with Dementia: Routedge, 95-108. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003416241-11
- Wrentschur Michael, Dressel Gert, Heimerl Katharina, Lisa Hofer, Wegleitner Klaus (2024): CareACT in Communities. Theatre interventions for justice-oriented and participatory learning processes in caring communities. Educational Action Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2024.2439975
- Pichler Barbara, Dressel Gert, Hutter Evelyn, Reitinger Elisabeth, Heimerl Katharina (2023): The Storytelling Café as a Citizen Science Method: generating knowledge, communication and education. Proceedings of Science (ACSC2023) 016, https://pos.sissa.it/442/016/pdf
- Heimerl Katharina, Schuchter Patrick, Egger Barbara, Prieth Sonja, Lang Alexander, Kaelin Lukas, Frankus Elisabeth, Dinges Stefan, Wegleiter Klaus (2022). Dying is never beautiful but there are beautiful moments. Qualitative interviews with those affected about ‘good dying’. Mortality, https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2022.2034773
- Lang, Alexander, Frankus Elisabeth, Heimerl Katharina (2022): The perspective of professional caregivers working in generalist palliative care on ‘good dying’: An integrative review. Social Science & Medicine, 293, 114647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114647
- Heimerl Katharina, Pichler Barbara, Plunger Petra (2020): Challenges and strategies in communication with people with dementia and their informal caregivers in community pharmacies - a narrative approach. Scand J Caring Sci; 2020; 34; 852–860. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12789
- Plunger Petra, Heimerl Katharina, Pichler Barbara, Tatzer Verena, Zepke Georg, Reitinger Elisabeth (2019): Developing dementia-friendly pharmacies in Austria: A health promotion approach. health promotion international 2019, 1-12, daz063, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daz063
- Wegleitner Klaus, Heimerl Katharina, Kellehear Allan (eds.) (2015): Compassionate Community – Case Studies from Britain and Europe. London: Routledge
- Hockley Jo, Froggatt Katherine, Heimerl Katharina (eds.) (2013): Participatory Research in Palliative Care. Actions and Reflections. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Affiliations & Memberships
- Member Austrian Association for Public Health
- Member Austian Association for Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Member Austrian Association for Palliative Medicine
- Member European Association for Palliative Care
- Founding Member Association for Palliative Geriatrics
- Co-editor Fachzeitschrift für Palliative Geriatrie [Journal for Palliative Geriatrics] (2015-2025)