Isabelle Probst

Professor Isabelle Probst is an Associate Professor at HESAV (Haute École de Santé - Vaud), part of the Western Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (HES-SO). She is based at Avenue de Beaumont 21, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland, with her office located at BM21-T/02/201. Her email contact is isabelle.probst@hesav.ch.

Her research primarily focuses on maternity protection at work, gender and work issues, occupational health and safety for pregnant workers, workplace ergonomics, and disability insurance policies. Professor Probst examines how legislation on maternity protection is implemented in practice, particularly in healthcare and food industry sectors in Switzerland, and investigates the intersection of gender with workplace safety.

Professor Probst has published extensively in recent years, with significant contributions appearing in journals like WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, Plos one, Ergonomics, and Obstetrica. Her work reveals that maternity protection legislation in Switzerland is significantly under-implemented, with only a small minority of companies properly conducting required risk analyses or work adaptations.

• Her research shows only 2% of pregnant employees in the food industry and 12% in healthcare are properly protected according to Swiss legislation
• She has evaluated specialized occupational health consultations that support pregnant workers, employers, and healthcare providers
• Her work demonstrates that these consultations significantly improve workplace safety and reduce unnecessary work absences
• She has developed mentorship programs to support women's career advancement in academic settings

Professor Probst collaborates extensively with researchers from Unisanté (Lausanne University Hospital's public health service), including Alessia Abderhalden-Zellweger, Peggy Krief, and Julien Vonlanthen. She also works with Maria-Pia Politis Mercier from HESAV and Brigitta Danuser (honorary professor at Unisanté). Her current research includes the 'Mentorat HES-SO' project supporting women in health and social work fields, funded by HES-SO Rectorat with a budget of 42,000 CHF (2024-2025).

At HESAV, Professor Probst teaches across multiple programs including Midwifery, Nursing, Medical Radiology Technology, and Health Sciences Master's programs, where she integrates her research expertise on gender, work, and occupational health into her teaching.