Chantal Csajka

Chantal Csajka is a Full Professor at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE), affiliated with the Faculty of Biology and Medicine. She leads the Center for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences (CRISP) at CHUV, a key institution in advancing clinical pharmaceutical research and education in Western Switzerland.

• Appointed Full Professor in 2019
• Director, CRISP at CHUV
• Joint academic role at UNIL and UNIGE
• Part of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland (ISPSO)

Her research is centered on improving drug therapy through personalized medicine, focusing on population pharmacokinetics to understand how demographic, genetic, and clinical factors influence drug response and toxicity. She emphasizes optimizing existing medications for safer and more effective use.

Another major research focus is medication safety in vulnerable populations, particularly elderly and pediatric patients who are often excluded from clinical trials. She leads an SNSF-funded study on automated detection of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized elderly patients, aiming to fill critical knowledge gaps.

She also works on developing tools and clinical guidelines to facilitate the transfer of research findings into everyday medical practice, supporting the integration of digital technologies and innovative therapies such as biologicals and cell-based treatments.

CRISP, under her leadership, provides advanced training for pharmacists, physicians, and scientists in emerging pharmaceutical fields, contributing to the development of next-generation healthcare professionals.

Chantal Csajka has a strong clinical and academic background, with prior roles including Associate Professor at UNIGE (2012–2019) and Vice-President of the Section of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She holds a pharmacy diploma (1993) and a doctorate in Pharmaceutical Sciences (2000) from UNIL, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco (2002–2005). From 2008, she has served as a Clinical Pharmacist in the Geriatrics Department at CHUV.