L. Suzanne Suggs

L. Suzanne Suggs is a Full Professor of Social Marketing at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, where she leads the BeCHANGE research group within the Institute of Communication and Public Policy (ICPP). She also serves as Vice-President of the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), Chair of the SSPH+ Lugano Summer School in Public Health Policy, Economics and Management, and is a Visiting Reader at Imperial College London's Institute of Global Health Innovation. She co-leads the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences Expert Group on Science Communication and is a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Her research centers on health communication, determinants of health behaviors, and strategies for behavior change, particularly in vaccination acceptance, eating behaviors, and physical activity. Her interdisciplinary work spans over two decades across industry, government, NGOs, and academia. She has been deeply involved in public health policy, notably serving on the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force as a member and later co-chair of the Public Health expert group, and continues to lead Science Exchange meetings among Swiss scientists.

The trends in her work reflect a strong integration of social marketing, behavioral science, and public health policy, with increasing emphasis on science communication and evidence-based interventions to influence population health outcomes.

Scientific Awards:

• Award for Best Teaching at USI (2020)
• Recognized for scientific and teaching excellence (2020)

She advises governments and public institutions, including the Swiss government on its National Immunization Strategy and COVID-19 response. She has secured and led funded research projects, though specific grants are not detailed. She mentors students through her research group and supervises academic work in health communication and behavior change. She has taught at USI and delivered courses and keynotes internationally, including at the EPFL Summer School.

She leads the BeCHANGE research group at USI, which focuses on behavior change through communication, social marketing, and behavioral insights. This team collaborates across disciplines and institutions, including with the Swiss School of Public Health and Imperial College London.