معرفی
Alexandre Berney is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), and Head Physician of the Liaison Psychiatry Service at CHUV. He leads a major longitudinal study (ETMED-L) funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), investigating empathy and mental health in medical students.
His research focuses on the multidimensional nature of empathy—particularly affective and cognitive empathy—and its relationship with psychological well-being during medical training. As head of a liaison psychiatry unit, he specializes in the care of hospitalized patients with co-occurring psychiatric conditions and in enhancing the therapeutic doctor-patient relationship.
The ETMED-L study has revealed that empathy remains stable or improves during medical education, especially cognitive empathy, while affective empathy is correlated with poorer mental health outcomes. Approximately 18% of students experience depression during the early Bachelor years, decreasing to 10% by the Master’s phase. About 20% have sought mental health support in the past year.
Berney emphasizes the importance of supporting student mental health and fostering cognitive empathy as a protective factor. The FBM and CHUV have strengthened psychotherapeutic services for students, including free initial consultations.
Alexandre Berney is actively contributing to academic medicine through research, clinical leadership, and institutional collaboration, with a strong focus on prevention, mental health awareness, and empathic skill development in future physicians.
