Nicola Low

Prof. Dr. med. Nicola Low, MSc FFPH is a Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Bern's Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM). She serves as Chair of the Epidemiology Cluster, Co-Lead of the BEready Cohort, and Director of Research at ISPM. Her academic career spans over two decades with previous appointments at the University of Bristol and King's College London.

• University of Bern: Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health (2010-present)
• University of Bristol: Consultant Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine (2001-2005)
• King's College London: Specialist Registrar in Genitourinary Medicine (1993-1998)

Prof. Low's research focuses on the epidemiology and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and vaccine preventable diseases. She specializes in evaluating STI screening programs, mathematical modeling of disease transmission, and conducting systematic reviews. Her work extends to pandemic preparedness through the BEready Cohort study involving 1,500 households in the canton of Bern, and she leads significant research on mpox (monkeypox) outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She also serves as Deputy Editor of the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on emerging infectious disease threats, particularly mpox outbreaks in Africa and bacterial STIs among high-risk populations. The research shows a clear trend toward investigating transmission dynamics of emerging pathogens, antimicrobial resistance patterns in STIs, and innovative approaches to surveillance and control. Her work spans multiple continents with significant collaborations in Switzerland, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the UK.

Prof. Low leads the Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Group at ISPM, which investigates sexually transmitted infections, reproductive tract infections, sexuality, sexual behavior, and contraception. Her team includes several PhD students and postdoctoral researchers working on various aspects of infectious disease epidemiology.

• BEready Cohort: Large-scale pandemic preparedness study in Bern
• Zika Open Access Project: Research on Zika virus causality and transmission
• LUSTRUM Project: Limiting Undetected Sexually Transmitted Infections to Reduce Morbidity
• WANTAIM Trial: Point-of-care testing for STIs in Papua New Guinea to improve birth outcomes

Her research program includes extensive collaborations with institutions worldwide including the Dutch National Institute of Public Health, Kirby Institute (Australia), Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, University College London, University of Melbourne, and the World Health Organization. She has supervised multiple PhD students and leads several major research initiatives focused on improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes globally.