I am an Adjunct Professor and Research Group Leader at the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich. I have a multidisciplinary background in environmental, economic and social history, as well as in evolutionary medicine, (historical) epidemiology, (historical) anthropometry and (historical) demography. My research focuses on population health over time, particularly the interactions between human health and environmental change in Switzerland and beyond over the past two centuries. The latest trends and monitoring of important health issues are also part of my work. By combining historical and epidemiological approaches, my research group provides critical context to contemporary health and societal challenges.
Research group, projects & news
See my group's separate webpage
Other Affiliations and Memberships
- EU COST Action "The Great Leap. Multidisciplinary approaches to health inequalities, 1800-2022" (Working Group Leader)
- IUSSP Panel "Epidemics & Contagious Diseases: The Legacy of the Past" (Panel Member)
- Crisis Competence Center, UZH (Member)
- Initiative Geisteswissenschaften, UZH (Member)
- Epidemiology & Biostatistics PhD Program UZH (Member)
- Center for Military & Disaster Medicine, Swiss Armed Forces (Member of the Scientific Board)
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP) (Member)
- Institute of History, University of Bern (Research Affiliate & Lecturer)
- Digital Society Initiative (DSI), University of Zurich (Member)
- Swiss School of Public Health SSPH+ (Faculty Member)
Publications
See also Google Scholar Profile
ZORA Publication List
Publications
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2026
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Journal Article
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Diphtheria in Switzerland, 1877–2022: long-term epidemiology and the impact of mid-20th-century vaccination programs Vaccine, 91, 129064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.129064
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The Very Old in 19th-Century Switzerland: Examining Verified Outliers at the Top of the Historical Age Distribution Journal of Population Ageing, Epub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-026-09588-y
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Sex and gender differences in morbidity and mortality from influenza-like illness during pandemics and throughout the 20th century in Switzerland Infectious Diseases, 58, 800–812. https://doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2026.2644272
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Association between pre-birth waist circumference and neonatal size and health in mother-newborn pairs in Lausanne, 1917–1921 PLoS ONE, 21, e0352179. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0352179
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Trends in physical fitness performance and body mass index of Swiss military conscripts, 2006–2024: a cross-sectional study BMJ Open, 16, e116950. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-116950
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Historical birth records from 1896 to 1944 from the Basel maternity hospital, Switzerland, reveal significant obstetric selection pressures The Anatomical Record, Epub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.70259
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Over the edge: Empirical evidence for the cliff‐edge model of obstetric selection The Anatomical Record, ar.70159. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.70159
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The decline of child stunting in 122 countries: a systematic review of child growth studies since the 19th century BMJ Global Health, 11, e018607. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018607
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Challenges in healthcare facilities’ response to past outbreaks: a systematic review of reviews BMC Health Services Research, 26, 141. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-13934-9
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2025
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Journal Article
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Reconstructing the spread of measles in the 20th century: an epidemiological analysis of the period prior to the introduction of vaccination in Switzerland American Journal of Epidemiology, 194(12), 3556–3565. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf167
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Association between a mismatch of maternal/neonatal body size and obstetrical interventions in Switzerland in the 1920s: a cross-sectional study Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift, 155, 4546. https://doi.org/10.57187/s.4546
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Maternal Influenza-Like Illness and Neonatal Health During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in a Swiss City Annals of Internal Medicine, 178, 1632–1641. https://doi.org/10.7326/annals-24-03796
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Reconstruction of the Discourse on Influenza During Pandemics Between 1889 and 1980 in the Predecessor Journal of Swiss Medical Weekly - A Narrative Review and Bibliometric Analysis Public Health Reviews, 46, 1608522. https://doi.org/10.3389/phrs.2025.1608522
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Impact of obesity and physical fitness on hypertension: a mediation analysis including over 380 000 Swiss young male conscripts from 2007 to 2022 BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 11, e002455. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2025-002455
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An ancient influenza genome from Switzerland allows deeper insights into host adaptation during the 1918 flu pandemic in Europe BMC Biology, 23, 179. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02282-z
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Fertility dynamics through historical pandemics and COVID-19 in Switzerland, 1871–2022 Population Studies, 79, 463–478. https://doi.org/10.1080/00324728.2025.2462291
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Is height loss in adulthood associated with health in later life among the 1946 UK Birth Cohort (NSHD) participants? Aging and Health Research, 5, 100224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahr.2025.100224
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Retrospective modelling of the disease and mortality burden of the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic in Zurich, Switzerland Epidemics, 50, 100813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epidem.2025.100813
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Book Section
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Measuring Food Requirements and Deprivation In M. Cox & C. Morelon (Eds.), Hunger Redraws the Map. Food, State, and Society in the Era of the First World War (pp. 280–318). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009441278.011
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Conference or Workshop item
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Benefits and challenges of communicating long-term data in public health, SSPH+ Workshop - Final Report online. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16961076
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