Gaëlle Aeby

Gaëlle Aeby is an Associate Professor at the HES-SO Valais-Wallis School of Social Work and an associate researcher at the Institute of Sociological Research (Geneva School of Social Sciences) and the Center for Legislative Study, Technique and Evaluation (Faculty of Law) at the University of Geneva. Her academic career spans multiple institutions including the University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, and international collaborations with the University of Manchester and University of Lisbon.

Dr. Aeby earned her Bachelor's (2006) and Master's (2008) degrees in Sociology from the University of Geneva, with a mobility semester at Chinese University of Hong Kong. She completed her PhD in Social Sciences (2015) at the University of Lausanne, with a mobility stay at Instituto de Ciências Sociais of the University of Lisbon. Following her doctorate, she received a Swiss National Science Foundation Early Postdoc.Mobility grant for research at the University of Manchester's Morgan Centre (2016-2017).

Her research focuses on social policies and families, youth transition to adulthood, child protection systems, life courses and family breakdowns, personal networks, and the sociology of family law and divorce. Dr. Aeby employs a life-course perspective to examine how social structures and individual agency interact in family formation, dissolution, and reconfiguration processes, with particular attention to gender dynamics and legal frameworks.

Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on child protection systems, divorce processes, and gender equality within family law. The research demonstrates methodological diversity, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine personal networks, legal interpretations, and institutional practices across different cultural contexts. Her work often addresses policy implications, particularly regarding children's participation rights and gender equity in family justice systems.

Dr. Aeby leads and participates in multiple significant research projects including 'The negotiation of divorce agreements and gender (in)equality in Switzerland' (UNIGE, 2019-2023), 'The practice of family law during the COVID-19 pandemic' (PNR 80, 2023-2026), and 'Integrity, autonomy and participation in child protection' (PNR 76, 2018-2023), demonstrating sustained funding support for her research agenda.

She collaborates extensively with researchers across Switzerland and internationally, particularly with colleagues at the University of Geneva, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, FHNW, and ZHAW. Her research teams typically include interdisciplinary members from sociology, law, social work, and psychology, reflecting the complex nature of family and child protection systems she studies.