Timo Kaerlein has been an assistant professor for Digital Humanities at HCU since October 2021. His research focuses on the theory, history and aesthetics of interfaces; infrastructures and practices of urban sensing, as well as body and media theories. He completed his doctorate in media studies at the University of Paderborn on smartphones as digital near-body technologies and was scientific coordinator of the Sonderforschungsbereichs 1187 „Medien der Kooperation“ (Collaborative Research Centre 1187 "Media of Cooperation") at the University of Siegen from 2018 to 2021.