Public and Global Health Department

We are dedicated to fostering a healthier and more equitable world. To this end, we engage in a collaborative approach to understand what keeps people healthy, what makes them ill, and how we can support them when they are ill. We translate these insights into practice.

Head of Department: J. Fehr

• We build trust through empathy and collaborative engagement.
• We are committed to quality, integrity and responsible conduct.
• We incorporate different perspectives and promote equal opportunities.
• We are committed to long-term harmony between humans and nature.

We ask: what keeps us healthy, what makes us ill, and how can we deal with illness? In dialogue with partners from science, practice and society, we explore complex challenges – and create sound foundations. We focus on infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, climate change and social determinants of health.

We create structures in which knowledge is gathered, shared and further developed. In doing so, we enable sustainable learning and strengthen collective competence among the population, students, professionals and policy-makers, and promote international exchange between science and practice.

We combine scientific evidence with practical expertise to develop sustainable solutions for public and global health as well as clinical practice together with our partners.

The department comprises the following four divisions, ranging from individual to public and global health as well as basic research: Global Health & Mobility,  Pathogen Biology,  Center of Salutogenesis and Division of Public & Organizational Health,  Zentrum für Reisemedizin

Division: Global Health & Mobility
The Division of Global and Public Health focuses on infectious diseases and travel medicine. As a WHO Collaborating Centre for Travel Medicine, it contributes to global networks like GeoSentinel and TropNet. The division conducts research on emerging infectious diseases, vaccinology, and disease surveillance while offering expertise in outbreak investigations and travel health recommendations. It actively collaborates on international studies addressing global health challenges.

Research Groups: 
Cohorts and Clinical Trials
Epidemiology of Travel-Related and Local Infections
HIV/STI & Sexual Health
Immunity & Vaccines
Implementation & Behavioural Change in Health
Infectious Disease Control
International Programs & Collaborations
Mobility & Planetary Health

Division: Pathogen Biology

Division: Center of Salutogenesis and Division of Public & Organizational Health

The internationally unique"Center of Salutogenesis” has set itself the goal of further developing, disseminating, and applying salutogenesis in various areas—our mission is “putting salutogenesis to work.” Salutogenesis focuses on the origins of health rather than illness—by focusing on strengthening resources and positive health outcomes.

Division"Public & Organizational Health” Our mission is putting salutogenesis to work. Salutogenesis focuses on the origin of health rather than disease – by strengthening resources and focusing on positive health outcomes.  
The research Division of Public & Organizational Health applies salutogenesis to study and to improve the impact of the fast-transforming working life and organizations on employee health.  

Division: Zentrum für Reisemedizin

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Christine Vögtli (E-Mail)
Thuy Nhung Nguyen (E-Mail)