ZÜRCHER Karin
Deputy Head of the Department of Health Promotion and Prevention

Biography
Karin Zürcher has been Deputy Head of the Department of Health Promotion and Prevention (DPSP) at Unisanté since 2022.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Lausanne (UNIL), with a focus in health anthropology, a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Community Health, a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Public Health from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), and a Leadership Certificate from the Swiss Public Health Association (ASFC).
She has solid experience in planning, managing, and evaluating prevention projects and programs, as well as in teaching and applied research and teaching in health promotion. Active for over fifteen years in French-speaking Switzerland in public health, she has notably headed CIPRET-Vaud, focusing on tobacco prevention and tobacco control policy development, before coordinating teams and cantonal actions targeting other risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as diet, physical activity, and health-supportive environments.
Member of the Federal Commission for Issues Related to Addictions and the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (CFANT) since 2020, her expertise includes prevention of non-communicable diseases, smoking and addictions, social determinants and health inequalities, commercial determinants and industrial practices, regulation of harmful products, public health advocacy, and the interface between knowledge production, professional action, and political decision-making.
Teaching
CAS santé publique : module optionnel Promotion de la santé et préventions
CAS santé publique : Promotion de la santé et préventions
CAS santé publique : tabac
HESAV : MSC filière Sciences infirmières
UNIL SSP : Enjeux sociaux de la santé
UNIL FBM : module généralisme II
HETSL : bachelor travail social (filière service social et filière éducation sociale)
SHS - EPFL / HEC
Formation MOCCA
Symposium "Processus politiques et stratégie suisse de nutrition" Unisanté
Symposium de tabacologie Unisanté
Congrès de la Société Francophone de tabacologie
Congrès SNRT
Conférence Association suisse pour la prévention du tabagisme
Formations mandatées dans le domaine de la santé publique
Diplomas
Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Public Health
Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Community Health
Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences
Leadership Certificate from the Swiss Public Health Association
Projects
- #health promotion, prevention and screening
- #health of vulnerable populations and social medicine
- #public health, epidemiology and biostatistics
- #addictions including smoking cessation
- #chronic diseases, ageing population
- #health promotion, prevention and screening
- #health of vulnerable populations and social medicine