Urte Scholz

Urte Scholz is Full Professor of Applied Social and Health Psychology at the University of Zurich, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, where she has held the chair since September 2013. She is also an active member of the Digital Society Initiative (DSI) and has served as Programme Director for “Education and Health” within the Master in Psychology Programme at the Swiss Distance Learning University (2018–2022).

Education & Training

• 2005 – Ph.D. in Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
• 2001 – German Diploma in Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
• 2009 – Licensed Health Psychologist (Fachpsychologin für Gesundheitspsychologie), Swiss Federation of Psychologists (FSP)
• 2010 – Certificate in “Teaching Skills”, Center for University Teaching and Learning, University of Zurich

Research Focus

Prof. Scholz’s research integrates health psychology, social psychology, and digital health to understand and promote health behaviour change. She examines self-regulation processes in daily life, dyadic and social exchange mechanisms among romantic partners, families, and friends, and develops theory-based digital interventions (apps, wearables, SMS) to foster physical activity, smoking cessation, and chronic-disease self-management. Methodologically, she relies heavily on intensive longitudinal designs such as ambulatory assessment and micro-randomized trials.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships

• 2018 – Fellow, International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP)
• 2017 – Fellow, European Health Psychology Society (EHPS)
• 2005 – Early Career Award, Stress and Anxiety Research Society (STAR)

Leadership & Service

She has held numerous presidencies and board memberships in international and national scientific societies, including President of the Swiss Society of Health Psychology (2018–2024), President of Division 8 (Health Psychology) of IAAP (2014–2018), and President of the Psychological Counselling Services Commission for UZH & ETH Zurich students (since 2017). She is/has been Associate or Guest Editor for Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, British Journal of Health Psychology, Health Psychology Review, and serves on the editorial boards of Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Health Psychology, and several other leading journals.

Grants & Collaborations

Prof. Scholz has acted as principal investigator on projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, German Research Foundation, European Research Council, and others. She collaborates with interdisciplinary consortia spanning psychology, medicine, computer science, and public health across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Labs & Teams

She leads the Applied Social and Health Psychology group at the University of Zurich, located at Binzmühlestrasse 14, CH-8050 Zürich, Room BIN 3.D.15. The team’s infrastructure supports ambulatory assessment, mobile sensing, and digital intervention development.