Nicole Probst-Hensch Elected to SAMS Executive Board

Nicole Probst-Hensch, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Swiss TPH will represent the University of Basel and Swiss TPH on the Executive Board of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) as of July 2021. Together with two other new members, she was recently elected by the Senate of SAMS, which consists of around 250 members from medical faculties, medical and nursing professions, and various societies and organisations in healthcare.

Before her new role as a member of the Executive Board, Nicole Probst-Hensch has been a member of the Senate of this important Swiss scientific body for 3 years.

She brings extensive public health experience in the field of chronic diseases such as cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, investigates the role of the environment in the development of diseases in her research activities and leads cohort studies and biobanks nationally (SAPALDIA, COVCO-Basel) and internationally (CoDuBu in Côte d'Ivoire; KOSCO in Kosovo; CARMEN in Palestine).

"I am looking forward to bringing the public health, health promotion, and environmental health perspective into this important board of colleagues," said Nicole Probst-Hensch. "As evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, we also need to strengthen the access and use of health data in Switzerland, not only to promote personalized health, but also evidence-based public health."

About SAMS

Founded in 1943 as a research funding institution, the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) acts nowadays as a bridge between science and society. It is financially supported by the federal government and collaborates with private foundations.

Today, SAMS has two main programmes, "Medicine and Society" and "Medical Science and Practice". Activities include the promotion the professional training of the coming generation of scientists, the clarification of ethical questions in connection with medical developments and their effects on society and the engagement in university, scientific and education politics, combined with expert and advisory activity with politicians and authorities.

The Executive Board is responsible for planning, directing and supervising the business of SAMS, and prepares and approves statements and position papers.