Experience

Marie Meierhofer Institut für das Kind

• Switzerland
• Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director

  • Jul 2023 - Present

• Deputy Director and Head of Research

  • Jan 2019 - Jul 2023

  The Marie Meierhofer Children's Institute, associated Institute of the University of Zurich is a center focused on early childhood, working at the intersection of research, policy and practice. My own research focuses on early exposure to adversity and its consequences across the life span. In particular, I am interested in factors that allow for healthy development of children growing up with all different kinds of starting conditions (salutogenesis, resilience).

• Senior Researcher

  • Sep 2016 - Dec 2018



University of Basel

• Switzerland
• Research Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Lecturer: Introduction to Developmental Psychology - infancy and childhood

  • Sep 2021 - Present



UBS

• Switzerland
• Financial Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Program Director

  • Mar 2013 - Aug 2016

  Leading the UBS Optimus Foundation's area of child protection; developing and managing strategic, evidence-based funding portfolios (violence prevention, early childhood development+, child trafficking, de-institutionalization, pediatric palliative care); sourcing and managing programs to maximize social impact in a global context (high-, middle-, low- income countries); managing multi-site epidemiological survey on child sexual abuse; providing technical support to grantees on the topics of monitoring and evaluation, theory of change, program evaluation, measuring violence-related outcomes and translation of research into advocacy messages; managing donor collaborations; contributing to advancing the field by convening leading experts on key topics of the relevant fields and conducting systematic reviews. Show less

• Project coordinator

  • Jul 2008 - Feb 2013

  Coordinate a multi-site epidemiological survey on violence against children conducted on three continents ("Optimus Study"). Manage research projects related to violence against children on the funder side.



Gsünder Basel

• Basel und Umgebung, Schweiz

• Mindfulness Instructor, MBSR

  • Feb 2009 - Jul 2011



University of Bern

• Switzerland
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research Fellow

  • May 2008 - Jul 2010

  Conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of communication behaviors of oncologists and its association with patient well-being, sponsored by the Swiss Cancer League. Conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of communication behaviors of oncologists and its association with patient well-being, sponsored by the Swiss Cancer League.



Harvard's Dana Farber Cancer Institute

• Großraum Boston und Umgebung

• Research Associate

  • Jan 2005 - Jan 2008

  Research collaboration on projects related to psychosocial oncology: Parental Grieving Processes After the Death of a Child to Cancer (PI: Ulrika Kreicbergs, Ph.D. RN); Mindfulness Intervention for Adult Patients Undergoing a Bone Marrow Transplant; Investigation of neuroendocrinological and neuroimmunological effects (PI: Susan Bauer-Wu, DNSc, RN); Psychosocial Adjustment and Quality of Life of Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors and Their Families (PI: Katherine Vannatta, Ph.D.) Data collection for randomized controlled trials (from adult as well as pediatric cancer patients and their families, at home, in school and during their hospitalization; standardized testing of children’s social, emotional and cognitive skills with validated instruments; questionnaires; urine samples; vital signs; medical chart reviews); patient recruitment and randomization; data management and –analysis; compilation of research reports; manage revisions and amendments for IRB. Show less



Kinderwerkstatt, Day Care

• Bern und Umgebung, Schweiz

• Pre-school teacher

  • Mar 2001 - Sep 2004

  Pre-school teaching for children at a day-care center; plan and implement activities to foster early child development with a focus on early creativity; compilation of children's development reports and communication with the parents; supervision of the interns. Pre-school teaching for children at a day-care center; plan and implement activities to foster early child development with a focus on early creativity; compilation of children's development reports and communication with the parents; supervision of the interns.



Community Therapeutic Day School

• Großraum Boston und Umgebung

• Intern

  • Feb 2001 - Aug 2001

  Paedagocial and therapeutic support of children with mental illness and pervasive development disorders in a psychiatric, outpatient school setting. Paedagocial and therapeutic support of children with mental illness and pervasive development disorders in a psychiatric, outpatient school setting.