PhD Candidates
PhD candidates currently carrying out their research projects within the framework of the GHS are listed below, sorted by GHS Expert Committees. Field of expertise of the Expert Committees are as follows:
Expert Committee I: preventive and social medicine, public health, medical education, psychology, rehabilitation and patient related studies.
Expert Committee II: cognitive neuroscience
Expert Committee III: accompanies the research activities of clinically active candidates who are completing a PhD program in parallel to their work in the clinic Mentor Guidelines GHS FKIII (DOCX, 64KB)
Expert Committee I
Adamus Christine
University Hospital for Mental Health Bern (UPD), Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Research and Development
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Dierks
Research project: «Independent Housing and Support for individuals with severe mental illness: Randomized controlled trial va. observational study»
Daniela Anker
Bern Institute of Primary Care (BIHAM)
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Arnaud Chiolero
Research project: «Burden and treatment of hypertension in older adults: trend analyses and association with frailty»
Thomas Benz
RehaClinic, Bad Zurzach
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Achim Elfering
Research project: «Health and health-related quality of life in chronic pain patients: Evaluation of interdisciplinary rehabilitation in chronic pain»
Diana Buitrago
lnstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Nicola Low
Research project: «The science of prevalence: development of an evidence-based tool to assess the risk of bias in prevalence studies»
Marvin Bundo
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM)
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Franco Oscar
Research project: «Impact of ambient temperature on mental health»
Konstantina Chalkou
ISPM
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Giorgia Salanti
Research Project: «Real World Predictions of Heterogenous Treatment Effects Using Evidence Synthesis for Health Technology Assessment»
Belinda Varaidzo Chihota
Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia CIDRZ
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Gilles Wandeler
Research Project: «Epidemiology of modifiable non-communicable disease risk factors among HIV-infected adults in Southern Africa»
Virginia Chiocchia
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Georgia Salanti
Research Project: «Methods for ranking competing treatment in network meta-analysis»
Eugénie Noémie Rachel Collaud
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Claudia Kühni
Research Project: «Primary ciliary dyskinesia phenotypes throughtout the life course»
Maša Davidović
lnstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr Julia Bohlius
Research project: «Cancer prevention for women living with HIV in Africa»
Christophe Folly
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Ben Spycher
Research project: «Modelling exposure to background ionising radiation in Switzerland»
Nathalia Gonzalez Jaramillo
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Oscar Horacio Franco Duran
Research project: «Impact of Physical Activity on Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events»
Valentina Gonzalez Jaramillo
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Steffen Eychmüller
Research project: «Identification of the need of palliative care in patients with heart failure: Validation of the German version of t he "Needs Assessment Tool: Progressive Disease - Heart Failure (NAT: PD-HF)"»
Giorgia Grisotto
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Oscar Horacio Franco Duran
Research project: «Cardiometabolic Health in Women: The role of Diet»
Tasnim Hamza
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM)
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Giorgia Salanti
Research project: «Flexible generic framework for evidence synthesis in health technology assessment»
Eva Kathrin Hennel
Institute of Medical Education
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Sören Huwendiek
Research project: «Improving Residency Training with the Help of Multisource Feedback: Generation of a Model of Influencing Factors, and Development and Validation of a German Multisource Feedback Instrument»
Roger Hilfiker
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Peter Jüni
Research project: «Determinants of disability in patients with lower limb osteoarthritis»
Itodo Adam Oche
ISPM, University of Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Oscar H. Franco
Research project: «Cardiovascular Risk in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury»
Katharina Jungo
Bern Institute of Primary Care (BIHAM)
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Sven Streit
Research project: «Reducing inappropriate polypharmacy and optimizing medication in multimorbid older patients in primary care»
Kaspar Küng
Health Division; Bern University of Applied Sciences
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Jürg Schmidli
Research project: «Medication Errors in a Swiss University Hospital and the Effect of an Electronically Assisted Medication Preparation and Medication Administration System on Medication Errors (Project e-RAMIS)»
Johanna Kurz
University Children's Hospital, Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Philipp Latzin
Research project: «Development of small airway physiology from early childhood to school age. Longitudinal assessment of small airway physiology in healthy children and children with cystic fibrosis using the multiple-breath washout technique»
Eva-Sophie Lunde Pederson
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine ISPM
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Claudia Kühni
Research project: «Predicting asthma in children»
Maria Christina Mallet
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med Claudia Kühni
Research project: «Epidemiology of childhood wheezing illness and chronic non-specific cough in Switzerland»
Thimo Marcin
Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Matthias Wilhelm
Research project: «Changes of cardiorespiratory, vascular and heart rate parameters with Cardiac Rehabilitation and associations of these changes with training modality and baseline parameters»
Antonella Mazzei
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine ISPM
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Ben Spycher
Research project: «Background ionizing radiation and the risk of childhood cancer»
Yuly Paulin Mendoza Jaimes
Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR) / Inselspital Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Annalisa Berzigotti
Research project: «Prognostic stratification in advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD)»
Cristina Mesa Vieira
lnstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM)
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Oscar Franco
Research project: «Mental and cardiometabolic consequences of chronic exposure to violence»
Vera Mitter
Department of Gynaecology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Michael von Wolff
Research project: «Obstetric, perinatal and long-term outcome of children born after different IVF therapies»
Sabine Nabecker
Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Therapy, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Robert Greif
Research project: «Assessment in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training»
Oestreich Marc-Alexander
Inselspital, University Childrens Hospital Bern, Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med. Philip Latzin
Research project: «Development and longitudinal assessement of small airway physiology in healthy infants and infants with cystic fibrosis using the multiple-breath washout technique»
Severin Pinilla
Institute of Medical Education
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Sören Huwendiek
Research project: «Blended learning curriculum based on entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in the psychiatry core clerkship: a mixed methods PhD study»
Peter Francis Raguindin
University of the Philippines Manila - National Institutes of Health
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Oscar H. Franco
Research project: «Early cardiometabolic changes in Spinal Cord Injury»
Adrià Ramírez Mena
Department of Infectiology
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Gilles Wandeler
Research project: «Understanding the hepatitis B continuum of care to inform elimination strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa and Switzerland»
Luzia Renggli
Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Kronenberg
Research project: «From hospital-specific to patient-specific antibiotic consumption data: how can we improve surveillance of antibiotic use in the frame of antibiotic stewardship programs? »
Zayne Milena Roa Diaz
lnstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM)
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Oscar H. Franco
Research project: «The interaction between lifestyle and menopausal ageing and their impact in cardiovascular disease in women»
René Rüegg
Social Work Division, Bern University of Applied Sciences
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Thomas Abel
Research project: «Relations between health literacy and health outcomes in multifactorial models»
Yasmin Salem Mahmoud
Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, University Children's Hospital Bem
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med. Philip Latzin
Research project: «Combination of functional imaging and detailed longitudinallung function assessmentto describe lung development in preterm children»
Caroline Schneider
Preventive Cardiology and Sports Medicine, Cardiology, lnselspital Bern
Thesis Advisor: PD. Dr. Prisca Eser
Research project: «Importance of exercise training therapy timing with regard to cardiotoxicity and patient preference in early breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemo-therapy»
Natascha Schütz Hämmerli
Health Division; Bern University of Applied Sciences
Thesis Advisors: Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Aebi, PD Dr. med. Mathias Nelle
Research project: «Transition to Home after Preterm Birth: Pilot testing an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)- led Model of Transitional Care»
Michael Juhn Uh Seo
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Marcel Zwahlen
Research project: «Evidence-synthesis methods for personalizing the choice of treatment»
Anna Severin
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Matthias Egger
Research project: «Open Access and Standards of Quality Control in Scholarly Publishing»
Tinai Shamu
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Matthias Egger
Research project: «Viral evolution patterns in patients receiving dolutegravir based antiretroviral therapy»
Rodrigo Soria Maldonado
Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Cardiology
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Stefano Rimoldi
Research project: «Pulmonary Hypertension and underlying mechanism in Chronic Mountain Sickness»
Charlotte Warembourg
Veterinary Public Health Institute
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Gertraud Schüpbach
Research project: «Improving control strategies of canine zoonotic diseases: The role of free-roaming dog ecology»
Lea Wildisen
Bern Institute of Primary Care (BIHAM)
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Nicolas Rotondi
Research project: «Understanding the Association between Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Depressive Symptoms: Analyses of Cohort and Trial Data»
Expert Committee II
Stephanie Abgottspon
University Clinic for Diabetology, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine & Metabolism (UDEM), Inselspital, Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Regula Everts
Research project: «Executive functions, the cerebral working memory network, and cerebral blood flow in adult patients with phenylketonuria»
Hallie Batschelet
Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Franz Moggi
Research project: «Learning to resist the urge: Inhibition training in abstinent alcohol-dependent patients with regard to different patient characteristics»
Janine Bühler
University of Bern, Inselspital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med Selma Aybek
Research project: «The role of stress and sense of agency in functional neurological disorders (FND). An interventional study using on mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). »
Magdalena Camenzind
Department of Neurology and Clinical Research
Thesis Advisor: Prof. René Müri
Research Project: «Brain & Creativity»
Kathrin Chiffi
Department of Neurology, University hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med. René Martin Müri
Research project: «Effect of TMS on sleep parameters in healthy subjects with a post-stroke hemineglect (Creativity and Sleep)»
Victoria Chapellier
Psychiatric University Clinic UPO
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Walther
Research project: «Brain stimulation And Group therapy to improve Gesture and Social Skills in psychosis (BrAGG-SOS)»
Frauke Conring
University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bern, University of Bern
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Katharina Deborah Lena Stegmayer
Research project: «Paranoia in schizophrenia: a behavioural and functional neuroimaging study»
Jacqueline Helena de Jong-Mazairac
Dept. of Urology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, & Physio Artos
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Fiona Burkhard
Research project: «Is there variability in pelvic floor and abdominal muscle response induced by different cough and forced expiration patterns?»
Simone Denzer
Institute of Psychology, University of Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Fred Mast
Research project: «"Reality-monitoring in Sleep, Psychosis and Virtual Reality" within the IRC "Decoding Sleep: From Neurons to Health & Mind"»
Sarah Diezig
University Hospital of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Electrophysiology Unit, Translational Research Center
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Thomas König
Research project: «Reality-monitoring in sleep, psychosis and virtual reality within the IRC Project "Decoding Sleep: From Neurons to Health and Mind"»
Stephan Furger
Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Werner Strik
Research project: «Symptom Dimensions in Psychopathology: From Health to Psychosis – Dimension of Affect»
Nicole Gangl
Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Katharina Deborah Lena Stegmayer
Research project: «Paranoia in schizophrenia: a behavioural and structural neuroimaging study»
Nicole Göbel
Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. René Müri
Research project: «Creativity after focal brain lesions - a matter of paradoxical facilitation?»
Anneke Godeschalk
Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Johannes Mathis
Research project: «The assessment of vigilance, sleepiness and its related behaviour»
Brigitte Charlotte Kaufmann
Center for Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, Luzerner Kantonsspital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Thomas Nyffeler
Research project: «The interplay of visual attention and response inhibition»
Katharina Klink
Dept. of Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Stefan Klöppel
Research project: «Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on associative memory formation in healthy young and elderly participants as well as in individuals with memory impairment»
Werner Krammer
Dept. of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Roland Wiest
Research project: «Effects of serotonergic neuromodulation on behavioural recovery and motor network plasticity after cortical ischemic stroke: A longitudinal, placebo-controlled study»
Christine Krebs
University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Stefan Klöppel
Research project: «Modulating the effect of different cognitive interventions with transcranial direct current stimulation in individuals with and without memory Problems»
Andjela Markovic
University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. phil. Frauke Schultze-Lutter
Research project: «Sleep, Development and Psychiatry: Insights gained from quantitative EEG analyses»
Raphaela Muri
Dept.of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Regula Everts
Research project: «Impact of Phenylalanine on Cognitive, Neural and Neurometabolic Parameters in Adult Patients with Phenylketonuria - The PICO-Study, a Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial»
Niluja Nadesalingam
Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Walther
Research project: «Overcoming psychomotor slowing - A 3-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of add-on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for psychomotor slowing in psychosis»
Maria Ntafouli
Dept. of Neurology, Sleep-Wake-Center, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Claudio Bassetti
Research project: «Daytime performance on parasomnia patients»
David Schreier
Dept. of Neurology, Sleep-Wake-Center, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Johannes Mathis
Research project: «Vigilance assessment and judgement of fitness-to-drive in sleepy individuals»
Antje Stahnke
Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Werner Strik
Research project: «Symptom dimensions in psychopathology: From health to psychosis—Dimension of motor function disturbance»
Leonie Steiner
Dept. of Neuropediatrics, University Children's Hospital Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Regula Everts
Research project: «Cortical reorganisation of neural networks after childhood stroke and their relation to cognitive outcome»
Raphaela Martina Tschümperlin
Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Franz Moggi
Thesis project: «Learning to resist the urge: Inhibition training in abstinent patients with alcohol use disorders. A randomized controlled trial. Are there gender effects?»
Carole Wagnon
Dept. of Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Stefan Klöppel
Research project: «Supporting incidental learning with transcranial direct current stimulation in healthy young and elderly individuals»
Katharina Wehrmann
UPD Bern, Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Stefan Klöppel
Research project: «Targeting hippocampal hyperactivity with real-time fMRI based neurofeedback in individuals with and without memory problems»
Marina Wunderlin
Dept. of Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Stefan Klöppel
Research project: «Boosting Slow Oscillations of Slow Wave Sleep to improve memory functions in older adults»
Florian Wüthrich
University Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Walther
Research project: «An examination of psychomotor disturbance in current and remitted MDD: An RDoC Study»
Francilia Sabrina Zengaffinen
Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Werner Strik
Research project: «Symptom dimensions in psychopathology: From health to psychosis—Dimension of language and thought disturbance»
Hamoon Zohdi
Institute of Complementary Medicine
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Ursula Wolf
Research project: «Effects of exposure to colored light on cerebral and systemic physiology in humans»
Expert Committee III
Amstutz Deborah
Inselspital Bern, Zentrum für Bewegungsstörungen
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Paul Krack
Research project: «Apathy and Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson's Disease - Two Opposite States of a Behavioral Spectrum?»
Lorin Aaron Begré
Clinic for general internal and emergency medicine, Bürgerspital Solothurn
Thesis Advisors: Prof. Dr. Andri Rauch
Research project: «Understanding treatment outcomes of HIV/HBV coinfection: A prospective cohort of HIV/HBV-coinfected patients in Europe (Euro-B)»
Alexane Durand
Divison of Clinical Radiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern
Thesis Advisors: Prof. Dr. Daniela Esther Schweizer
Research project: «Neuronal current and sodium imaging in epileptic dogs»
Martina Béatrice Göldlin
University Clinic for Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisors: Prof. Dr. Urs Fischer und David Julian Seiffge
Research project: «Classification of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) subtypes - MRI-based phenotype of small vessel disease»
Julian Jakob
BIHAM Institute of Primary Health Care Bern
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Reto Auer
Research project: «Effects of Electric Nicotine Delivery Systems on pulmonary health in teenagers»
Baudouin Zongxin Jin
Department of Neurology
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Roland Wiest
Research project: «Predict and Monitor Epilepsy after a First Seizure: The Swiss-First Study»
Johannes Kaesmacher
Dept. of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Urs Fischer
Research project: «On the value of tissue plasminogen activator in contemporary endovascular stroke treatment»
Eric Lenouvel
Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern (UPO), Universitätsklinik für Alterspsychiatrie
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Stefan Klöppel
Research project: «The cognitive basis of fear of falling and its treatment»
Thomas Meinel
Dept. of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Simon Jung
Research project: «Value of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in etiological stroke workup»
Stéphanie Perrodin
Dept. of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Guido Beldi
Research project: «Impact of core muscle training on incisional hernia and pain after abdominal surgery»
Carlotta Riebensam
Department of Infectious Diseases, Bern University Hospital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. Gilles Wandeler
Research project: «Prevalence and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among HIV-infected individuals: impact of age, statins and antiretroviral drugs»
Jan Rosner
Department of Neurology, Inselspital Bern, University of Bern & Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med. Claudio Bassetti
Research project: «Clinical and Pharmacological Determinants of Central Neuropathic Pain»
Judith van Beek
Center for Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, Luzerner Kantonsspital
Thesis Advisor: PD Dr. Tim Vanbellingen
Research project: «Innovative rehabilitation techniques for improving manual dexterity in neurological diseases»
Elena Wenz
Department of Neurology, Inselspital
Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dr. med. Claudio Bassetti
Research project: «Central disorders of hypersomnolence - prevalence, multimodal phenotyping and evolution»