Undergraduate and postgraduate education and work experience
- Since 2000: Professor at the FHNW School of Social Work of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland
- 1999: PhD in Pedagogy/Social Education at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Zurich
- 1992: Dipl. Social Work
- 1991: Licentiate phil. I, Social Work, University of Fribourg
- 1984-1991: Studied social work, sociology, criminal and family law at the University of Fribourg and the Free University of Berlin
Practice activities and responsibilities
- Since 1985/1997: Co-founder and since 1997 president of the Dessaules Foundation, Biel (decentralised residential care groups)
- 1997-2007: President of the Swiss AIDS Federation
- 1995-1997: Member of the Board of the Swiss AIDS Federation
- 1989-1990: Johannesstift Spandau, Berlin: social educator in a residential group for the rehabilitation of young people with disabilities
Main focus
Research and development
- Social scientific HIV research: HIV prevention, HIV protective behaviour and social work offers for people with HIV
- Stigmatisation and discrimination
- Research-based intervention development and innovation in social work
- History of social work
Teaching
- Scientific theory and research methods
- Responsibility in continuing education
- CAS Research in the Social Sciences (cooperation with the University of Zurich)
Further information
Curriculum Vitae
Memberships, review & commission activities
Functions in the scientific community
- Reviewer for various international journals and research funding organisations
- Since 2019: Member of the National Science Council, Division 1, Swiss National Science Foundation
- Since 2016: Member of the Board of Trustees of FORS, Swiss Centre of Excellence for Social Sciences, Lausanne
- 2005-2022: Scientific advisor to the series “Grundlagen der Sozialen Arbeit”, edited by Karin Bock, Margret Dörr, Hans Günther Homfeldt, Jörgen Schulze-Krüdener and Werner Thole, Schneider Verlag Hohengehren, Baltmannsweiler
- 2012-2015: Member of the “Research” Working Group of the Federal Commission for Sexual Health (formerly the Federal Commission for AIDS Issues)
- 1996-2006: Member of the editorial team of the journal “Forschung und Wissenschaft Soziale Arbeit” (2000-2006) previously “Forum Soziale Arbeit” (1996-2000); responsible for the series “Symposium Soziale Arbeit” at Edition Soziothek, Bern
- 1993-2006: Founding member and Member of the Board of the Association for the Promotion of Social Work as an Academic Discipline VeSAD (since 2006 transferred to the Swiss Society for Social Work SGSA)
Membership of research societies and networks
- Swiss Society for Social Work (SGSA)
- European Society for Social Work Research
- Society for Social Work & Research (USA)
- International AIDS Society (IAS)