Honorary Fellows

SSPH+ Honorary Fellow 2025

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  Thomas Abel

  Professor Thomas Abel is a prominent sociologist specialising in health sociology. He became Professor for public health at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Bern in 1995. He has focused extensively on social and health inequalities, specifically how social conditions impact individual health outcomes and risk behaviours. Through his interdisciplinary approach, Thomas Abel has developed frameworks that address health inequities at multiple levels, merging sociological theory with public health practice to drive both academic and policy advancements in population health. In addition to his research achievements, Professor Abel has played an influential role in public health education in Switzerland. As a former member of the Foundation Board of the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), he actively promoted the integration and teaching of social sciences within public health curricula, thereby helping shape the interdisciplinary approach that characterises SSPH+ today.

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  Doris Schopper

  Professor Doris Schopper worked for Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) for several years, before becoming President of the organization's Swiss branch.  She has also worked as a health policy advisor for the WHO's Global Programme on AIDS in Geneva, and for the Swiss Tropical Institute. She also contributed to the development of various strategies for WHO, notably concerning national policies for the prevention of violence and injury, mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Europe, and child and adolescent health. She has also been responsible for the development of health policies in Switzerland, including the Swiss National Cancer Program 2005-2010, the national obesity prevention strategy and the overall health policy of the Canton of Geneva. In 2011, Doris Schopper was appointed full professor in the Department of Community Health and Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, and director of the UNIGE's Centre d'enseignement et de recherche en action humanitaire (CERAH). 

SSPH+ Honorary Fellow 2024

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  Monika Bütler

  Monika Bütler, a Swiss economist, was Director of the Swiss Institute for Empirical Economic Research (SEW) at the University of St. Gallen and has been an honorary professor of economic policy there since her retirement. She is a member of the Bank Council of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and a member of the Board of Directors of Huber+Suhner, Schindler Holding and Swiss Life. She was named one of the ten most influential economists in Switzerland. Her main scientific work has been in the fields of demography and ageing, labour market and social insurance as well as political economy, with several intersections with public health relevant research. During the pandemic, she chaired the Covid-19 National Science Task Force’s group of economic experts.

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  Henri Bounameaux

  Henri Bounameaux was born in 1953 in Liège (Belgium), did his primary and secondary education in Congo (Zaire), and his medical degrees in Basel. Specialist in internal Medicine and Angiology, his research was dedicated on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of veinous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism. As Dean of the Faculty of medicine at the University of Geneva he created in 2014 the Institute of Global Health and continuously supported the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+). He was elected in 2020 as President of SAMS where he constantly promoted the domain of public health.

SSPH+ Honorary Fellows 2023

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  Ursula Zybach

  After her master degree in food sciences and technology at the Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich (ETHZ), Ursula worked in public health sciences at the University of Basel. As member of the management team of the Swiss Cancer League she enhanced cancer prevention and early detection. Ursula was President of the Swiss Society for Public Health (2009-2022) where she strengthened the collaboration between the Public Health Society and SSPH+. Most important is the joint leadership of the annual Swiss Public Health Conference. Among other things she is member of the community council in Spiez, president Spitex canton of Berne and member of the national foundation IdéeSport. As a member and former president of the parliament of the canton of Berne she is a strong promoter of evidence-based public health-oriented policy making.

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  Olivier Guillod

  Olivier, retired in 2021, was the Director of the Institute of Health Law of the University of Neuchâtel. He was a member of the SSPH+ Foundation Board from 2008-2021. Among many other distinctions, we name the following ones: Member of the National Ethics Commission (2001-2013), Dean of the Faculty of Law (October 2003-October 2005), individual member of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (since 2008), President of the Cantonal Addictions Commission in Neuchâtel (2008-2013), Vice-Rector of the University of Neuchâtel (2016-2020), Member of the Agency Council of Swissmedic (2015-). On November 11, 2022, Olivier was awarded the Walther Hug Prize.

SSPH+ Honorary Fellows 2022

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  Yvonne Willems Cavalli

  Yvonne Willems Cavalli has been a leading figure in the field of nursing at the national level. Specialized as cancer nurse, she has served for 15 years as Director of nursing at EOC (the Ticino’s public hospitals), as vice-president of Swiss nurse leaders, as first scientific director of the SUPSI Master of science in nursing and as certified trainer of the program “Re-Igniting the Spirit of Care”. She is the current president of the association APN-CH (Advance Practice Nurse).

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  Ilona Kickbusch

  Ilona Kickbusch is known throughout the world for her expertise. She is the founding director and chair of the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. She has had a distinguished career with the World Health Organization and Yale University. The Lancet has profiled her as global health reformer. She has been awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz).

SSPH+ Honorary Fellow 2020

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  Ruth Dreifuss

  Former Federal Councillor (1993-2002), Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs. Her most important achievements included the introduction of the Federal Act on Health Insurance (1994-1996), the tenth AHV revision (1997) and the preparations for its eleventh revision.

SSPH+ Honorary Fellows 2019

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  Marcel Tanner

  Former President of the SSPH+ Foundation Board (2013-2017), former Director of the Swiss TPH, President of Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), President of the R. Geigy-Stiftung as well as mandates from WHO

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  Thomas Zeltner

  Former Secretary of Health of Switzerland and Professor of Public Health at the University of Bern, Deputy Chair of the University Council of the Medical University of Vienna, Visiting Scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health, “Sonderbotschafter” WHO as well as Honorary Professor at ISPM Bern

SSPH+ Honorary Fellow 2018

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  Charles Kleiber

  State Secretary SERI from 1997 to 2007
  

SSPH+ Honorary Fellows 2017

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  Gianfranco Domenighetti

  Founder of the Summer School Lugano, the former Université d’été en Administration et Gestion des Services Sanitaires, UDEASS

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  Alberto Holly

  Director of the Network Health Economics from 2002 to 2005 and Member of SSPH+ School Board from 2005-2008

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  Piero Martinoli

  SSPH+ Board Member 2008-2015

SSPH+ Honorary Fellows 2016

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  Ursula Ackermann-Liebrich

  Academic Director SSPH+ 2005-2008

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  Gilles de Weck

  Financial Director SSPH+ 2005-2008

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  Fred Paccaud

  Director SSPH+ 2009-2013

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  Charlotte Braun-Fahrländer

  Co-Director SSPH+ 2012-2013, and Director SSPH+ 2013-2014

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  Philippe Chastonay

  Co-Director SSPH+ 2013-2014

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  Felix Gutzwiller

  President SSPH+ Foundation Board 2008-2012