Maria Caiata Zufferey

Maria Caiata Zufferey serves as Full Professor of Sociology of Health and Social Issues at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), where she leads the Competence Centre for Healthcare Practices and Policies (CPPS) within the Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care. Holding a PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Fribourg, she maintains active research collaborations with USI (University of Lugano) and international institutions including Imperial College London and CNRS Paris.

Her research focuses on identity construction and agency in contexts of uncertainty, examined through qualitative studies spanning genetic cancer risk management, addiction recovery, chronic illness self-management, and pandemic decision-making. Notable projects include COTIVAX (COVID-19 vaccination decisions among healthcare workers), SCOUT (social dynamics in uncertainty), and Re-Work (breast cancer survivors' return to employment). Her methodological expertise in grounded theory and narrative analysis informs both her research and teaching of qualitative methods across academic levels.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on healthcare communication (particularly genetic risk disclosure), decision-making under uncertainty, and cross-cultural comparisons (notably Swiss-Korean studies). Her work demonstrates increasing integration of digital health tools and mixed-method approaches, with growing emphasis on pandemic-related social dynamics since 2020.

• Prix Vigener 2004 for best doctoral thesis in Humanities at University of Fribourg
• Best poster award 2010 at Swiss Association for the Study of Pain conference

Her leadership extends to directing major research initiatives funded through Swiss National Science Foundation and SUPSI internal grants, with recent projects examining vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers, genetic testing communication, and occupational reintegration of cancer survivors. She maintains active supervision of junior researchers while collaborating with healthcare institutions across Ticino canton.

Zufferey's work operates at the intersection of sociology, healthcare policy, and clinical practice through her CPPS center, which serves as a bridge between academic research and real-world healthcare challenges in southern Switzerland. Her current projects increasingly incorporate interdisciplinary approaches, combining sociological analysis with health informatics and policy evaluation.