Activity Report / Rapport d'activités 2023-2024
» A few words from Matthias Kliegel, director
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» Highlights Year 2023
» PhD Obtained in 2023
» Publications
» Grants — Ongoing projects
» Previous activity reports
A few words from Matthias Kliegel, director
The years 2023 and 2024 have been marked by transition and renewal at the CIGEV. One of the most significant developments has been our move from the city center to Villa Pinchat in Carouge. This relocation required substantial planning and effort and has added complexity to the coordination of activities across our teams—particularly in maintaining close ties with colleagues involved in LIVES and based at Uni Mail. Nevertheless, we are pleased to report that many of our research, teaching, and collaboration structures are once again running smoothly and continue to develop in promising directions.
In the Gerontology Center, two successful editions of the Geneva Aging Series were organized: GAS XI in Chexbres (2023) and GAS XII in Morges (2024). Both events brought together international experts and early-career scholars to discuss current topics in cognitive aging, including executive function, metacognition, daily decision-making, and cognitive training. These conferences continue to be important platforms for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration in psychological aging research. A further milestone has been CIGEV's role as lead institution for the work package on old age in the Horizon Europe project ADVANCE – Advancing Mental Health in the European Population (see also https://advancementalhealth.ku.dk/), a prestigious international collaboration focusing on improving mental health across the lifespan. This project highlights CIGEV's active contribution to shaping the European research agenda on aging and cognitive as well as mental health.
The LIVES Centre has continued to build on its internationally recognized excellence in interdisciplinary research on vulnerability across life course. In addition, following the end of the NCCR phase, the doctoral programme has been thoroughly revised and is now launched on an annual basis. The most recent cohorts, recruited in 2023 and 2024, include doctoral students from Geneva, Lausanne, and several European countries. With a renewed curriculum of theoretical and methodological modules, the programme reflects our ongoing commitment to interdisciplinary training in life course research.
Looking back, the past two years have been both demanding and rewarding. While the relocation posed some organizational challenges, it also opened new perspectives. With a continued focus on research excellence, collaboration, and academic training, the CIGEV remains well positioned to contribute meaningfully to understanding aging and life course development in a changing world.
Members
Management
Matthias Kliegel, Clémentine Rossier
Members
» Have a look at all the team members on our website!
Highlights Years 2023-2024
1) The Geneva Aging Series 11 and 12
Geneva Aging Series XI (GAS11)
Set against the stunning landscape of Chexbres, the Geneva Aging Series XI (GAS11) (September 12-14, 2023) gathered leading researchers and young scholars for a deep dive into the psychology of cognitive aging. The event provided a platform for challenging traditional perspectives on memory, perception, and executive function while encouraging collaboration across disciplines. The event featured a mix of keynote talks, oral presentations, and a poster session, offering diverse perspectives on how cognitive processes evolve across the lifespan.
Keynote speakers Professor Angelo Arleo (Sorbonne University, France), Professor Patrick Lemaire (Aix-Marseille University, France), and Professor Dayna Touron (University of Louisville, USA) provided valuable insights into the effects of aging on visual perception and spatial cognition, changes in cognitive control and strategy use, and the role of metacognition in learning and decision-making. Oral presentations complemented these themes, addressing topics such as metacognitive training, neural mechanisms of time perception, and strategies for managing prospective memory in daily life. The poster session was equally dynamic, showcasing a range of innovative research, from language as a marker of well-being to executive function challenges and cognitive flexibility in older adults. Alongside the academic discussions, informal networking sessions and a visit to Vevey created opportunities for collaboration and connection among attendees. GAS11 reaffirmed the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue in shaping the future of cognitive aging science.
Geneva Aging Series XII (GAS12)
From September 24-26, 2024, the Geneva Aging Series XII (GAS12) brought together researchers in Morges to discuss key issues in cognitive aging. With a focus on memory, decision-making, and cognitive adaptation, this edition encouraged both theoretical discussions and practical applications in the field. Keynote speakers Professor Claudia von Bastian (University of Sheffield, UK), Professor Yvonne Brehmer (Tilburg University, Netherlands), Professor Klaus Rothermund (Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany), and Professor Robert Stawski (Utah State University, USA) shared their expertise on working memory training and cognitive plasticity, the role of motivation and emotional regulation in aging, shifts in attention and cognitive control, and the impact of daily stressors on cognitive function. Oral presentations further explored social isolation and cognition, financial decision-making in older adults, and new approaches to cognitive training. The poster session provided a space for emerging research on wearable technology for cognitive tracking, the cognitive effects of pet ownership, and spontaneous prospective memory. Beyond the formal sessions, attendees engaged in discussions and networking opportunities, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the event. GAS12 once again served as a valuable platform for exchanging ideas and fostering connections in the field of psychological aging.
2) A revised state-of-the art lives doctoral programme
The LIVES Centre holds a state-of-the-art doctoral programme intended for early-stage doctoral students in the social sciences, psychology, health sciences or related disciplines whose thesis includes a life course / lifespan perspective. This programme, run by an officer at the University of Geneva and headed by the LIVES director at the University of Geneva, was initiated in 2012 as part of the NCCR-LIVES and extensively revised following the conclusion of the NCCR in 2023. A call for a new cohort is now launched every year, which means that, since December 2024, two cohorts simultaneously benefit from the updated two-year programme made of four theoretical modules and three methodological modules, and annual presentations of participants' research projects.
The 2023-25 cohort recruited in the Fall of 2023 includes 20 doctoral students, with 11 from the University of Lausanne, 5 from the University of Geneva, and 4 from other institutions (international PhD students from Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK). The 2024-26 cohort includes 16 doctoral students, with 7 from the University of Lausanne, 4 from the University of Geneva, and 5 from other institutions (4 international PhD students from France, Hungary, and the UK).
PhD Obtained in 2023-2024
Publications
Grants — Ongoing Projects
CIGEV Projects
| Project Titles | Principal Investigators | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| FREIZEIT - Betreuungs- und begegnungsfreie Zeiträume: Methodenplurale Erkundungen zum Erleben von Personen mit Demenz |
Thomas Beer |
SNSF |
| AGE.INT - Expertise internationale pour la vie des personnes âgées | Dimitri Konstantas Matthias Kliegel |
Confédération suisse - Secrétariat d'État à la formation, à la recherche et à l'innovation (SEFRI) |
| OFFLOADING - Intention Offloading and Aging: A Neurocognitive Investigation | Matthias Kliegel | SNSF |
| ADVANCE - Addressing mental health vulnerabilities from adolescence to older age : innovating prevention science for times of change | Matthias Kliegel | Confédération suisse - Secrétariat d'État à la formation, à la recherche et à l'innovation (SEFRI) |
| How emotion, stress and their regulation shape and alter episodic memories across the life span | Ulrike Rimmele | SNSF Eccellenza |
LIVES Center Geneva Associated Projects
Sources: LIVES UNIGE Annual Report 2023 / LIVES UNIGE Annual Report 2024
All LIVES active projects
Doctoral students enlisted in the LIVES Doctoral Program
| Doctoral Student | Cohort | Tutors | Thesis Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abughul Philip | 2023-25 | Clémentine Rossier | Employment Status and Childcare Practices in Kampala and Nairobi |
| Bornet Guillaume | 2023-25 | Daniel Oesch | Political Orientation and Occupational Orientation; Disaligning Compasses? Evolution of the Links Between Occupational Class and Political Attitudes |
| Fernandez Garcia Javier | 2023-25 | Eric Widmer | Conflict, support, and family salience in personal networks: the role of societal values and family policy |
| Foretay Taïs | 2023-25 | Lavinia Gianettoni & Patrick Bonvin | The permeability of the Swiss educational system to the test of individual pathways: Intersectional perspective on aspirations and ascending educational trajectories |
| Lachkovska Vasilena | 2023-25 | Stephanie Steinmetz | Origin-Based Discrimination: Tracing Transferable Biases across Life Domains and Generations |
| Lenko Mariya | 2023-25 | Stefani Scherer | Linking Occupations and Couple’s Homogamy. Mechanisms and Trajectories |
| Magdaraog Kristel | 2023-25 | Claudine Burton-Jeangros | Narratives of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) during the COVID-19 Pandemi |
| Mariano Claire | 2023-25 | Laura Bernardi | The Interrelationships Between Maternal, Paternal and Child's Mental Health Over Time |
| Moles Benjamin | 2023-25 | Laura Bernardi | Lone parenthood back and forth. A multidomain and multidirectional life-course perspective |
| Petrini Sonia | 2023-25 | Michael Grätz | Essays on equality of opportunity |
| Reichert Maximilian | 2023-25 | Tom Emery | The gendered nature of care and work behaviours in European societies |
| Rohrer Niels | 2023-25 | André Berchtold | Video game consumption and life course: How to analyse gamer practice? |
| Rostekova Adriana | 2023-25 | Andreas Ihle | The impact of critical life events and context effects on the maintenance of cognitive functioning across the lifespan: protective and risk factors |
| Sampaio Greve Milena | 2023-25 | Koorosh Massoudi | Empowerment of marginalized youth. Career counseling in group setting to prevent long-term NEET status |
| Sanchez Sienra Rodrigo | 2023-25 | Flavia Fossati | Equal opportunity policies in the Swiss compulsory education system |
| Spasic Magdalena | 2023-25 | Laura Bernardi | Post-separation physical custody arrangements and child well-being in Switzerland |
| Tenorio Mucha Janeth | 2023-25 | Yves Jackson & Claudine Burton-Jeangros | Social, health and work-related factors associated to non-communicable diseases among migrants in process of regularization in Geneva, Switzerland |
| Wang Wen | 2023-25 | Meena Kumari | The role of the residential environment on biological ageing in the UK |
| Baltes-Kallas Verena | 2024-26 | Philippe Wanner | Leaving for retirement: Who and when? Old age emigration from Switzerland |
| Bonelli Flavien | 2024-26 | Stephanie Steinmetz & Boris Wernli | Revisiting the gendered paid and unpaid task division patterns among couples in Switzerland and beyond. |
| Ciaravino Gäetane | 2024-26 | Paolo Ghisletta | Evaluating resilience: Methodological approaches, psychometric analyses, and longitudinal perspectives |
| Ciavarella Laura | 2024-26 | Mauricio Avendano | The impact of early childhood education and care policies and maternity leave on preschool children’s risk of overweight and obesity: a comparative study between France and the UK |
| Gallinari Safar Pierre | 2024-26 | Camille Roth & Thomas Louail | Understanding the structuring processes of listening habits and musical tastes during the transition from adolescence to adulthood |
| Gschwend Anja | 2024-26 | Isabel Z. Martínez | Intergenerational mobility in Switzerland: Patterns, determinants, and beliefs |
| Gyöngyösi Katalin | 2024-26 | Anikó Fehérvári | Patterns of disability and homelessness in Hungary |
| Latifi Tina | 2024-26 | Clémentine Rossier | Barriers to infertility care: analyzing the gap between having trouble conceiving and care/treatment decisions in Switzerland |
| Mucchiut Olivier | 2024-26 | Jürgen Maurer | Healthy ageing in the face of death: End-of-life planning among older adults in Switzerland before and during COVID-19 |
| Novak Maruša | 2024-26 | Jörg Stolz | Balkan boundaries. Religiosity trends and ethno-nationalism in the post-socialist Western Balkans |
| Pereira da Silva Sayonara | 2024-26 | Andreas Ihle | APOE-related pathological cognitive development and cognitive reserve accumulation pathways: a detailed lifespan perspective |
| Roque Sidonie | 2024-26 | Rebecca Lacey | Dimensions of childhood adversity and autonomic functioning across the lifecourse |
| Rossier Amélie | 2024-26 | Geneviève Piérart & Dario Spini | Making decisions in the transition to adulthood of young people with intellectual disability |
| Strebel Rebecca | 2024-26 | Gaële Goastellec | The life course of teachers |
| Tinti Emilie | 2024-26 | Lavinia Gianettoni | The relevance of gender indicators for the social sciences |
| Zhang Heyi | 2024-26 | Baowen Xue & Anne McMunn | The impact of work-family lifecourse trajectories on cardiovascular diseases in England |
Other doctoral students
| Doctoral Student | Tutors | Thesis Title |
|---|---|---|
| Constantin Madeleine-Ioana | Julie Péron | Left or Right? The Clinical and Neurobiological Implications of Motor Symptom Asymmetry in Parkinson's Disease |
| Harumi Jacot De Alcantara Isabele | Julie Péron | Le rôle de la personnalité dans la sclérose en plaques |
| Leko Minja | Elcheroth Guy | Cicatrice sans blessure? Transmission de traumatismes de guerre de la première à la deuxième génération chez les Bosniaques vivant en Suisse. |
| Matias Almeida Igor | Katarzyna Wac et Matthias Kliegel | Providemus alz: Ubiquitous Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease Screening |
| Mihaylova Mariela | Matthias Kliegel et Nicolas Rothen | Optimizing Memory in Non-Traditional Settings with Evidence-based Learning Strategies |
| Morel Sandrine | Bühlmann Felix |
Divorce et séparation, toujours des événements critiques ? Une études des trajectoires de parents mariés et non mariés avant et après la séparation |
| Nuber-Champier Anthony | Julie Péron |
Investigation des prédicteurs neuro-immunitaires du syndrome neuropsychologique post-Covid |
Previous Activity Reports
Rapport d'activités 2022
Rapport d'activités 2021
Rapport d'activités 2019-2020
Rapport d'activités 2017-2018
Rapport d'activités 2016
Rapport d'activités 2015
Rapport d'activités 2014
Rapport d'activités 2011-2013
Rapport d'activités 2009
Rapport d'activités 2006-2008
Rapport d'activités 2005
Rapport d'activités 2004
Rapport d'activités 2003