About University of Lausanne

Dr. Alex Biedermann serves as Associate Professor at the School of Criminal Justice, Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). His academic credentials include BSc and MSc degrees in Forensic Science from UNIL and a Ph.D. focusing on graphical models and probabilistic inference in forensic evidence evaluation. His professional experience includes work as a scientific advisor for the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police, handling cases for the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland. Through his Coursera courses "Challenging Forensic Science: How Science Should Speak to Court" and "La science forensique au tribunal: témoin digne de foi?" he helps students understand the complexities of forensic evidence interpretation. As principal investigator of the NORMDECS project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, he studies forensic interpretation through probability and decision theory. His research connects forensic science and law with computational statistics and philosophy of science. With over 100 publications to his name, he continues to advance the field of forensic decision analysis while maintaining visiting appointments at institutions in Adelaide and Beijing.

Dr. Christophe Champod serves as Full Professor at the School of Criminal Justice, University of Lausanne, where he earned both his M.Sc. and Ph.D. (summa cum laude) in Forensic Science in 1990 and 1995 respectively. After serving as assistant professor, he led the Interpretation Research Group of the Forensic Science Service (UK) from 1999 to 2003 before returning to Lausanne as full professor. He currently manages the ISO/SEC 17025 accredited forensic laboratory at ESC while overseeing education and research on identification methods. His expertise extends to expert witness work, and he serves on the Steering Committee of the International Fingerprint Research Group (IFRG). Through his Coursera courses in forensic science, he teaches students about evidence interpretation in court settings. His contributions to forensic science have earned him numerous accolades, including the 2020 Douglas M. Lucas Medal and the 2015 Distinguished ENFSI Scientist Award. His research focuses on inferential aspects of forensic identification techniques and the evaluation of forensic evidence.

Dr. Franco Taroni serves as Full Professor of forensic statistics at the University of Lausanne's School of Criminal Justice. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in forensic science from the University of Lausanne (1996) and two European Community Grants for research collaboration with Prof. Aitken at the University of Edinburgh. After serving as research project manager at the Institutes of Forensic Medicine of the Universities of Lausanne and Zürich, he has established himself as a leading expert in forensic statistics. Through his Coursera courses "Challenging Forensic Science: How Science Should Speak to Court" and "La science forensique au tribunal: témoin digne de foi?" he helps students understand statistical approaches to forensic evidence evaluation. His research focuses on forensic statistics, Bayesian networks, and decision-theoretic data analyses. He has authored several influential books including "Statistics and the evaluation of evidence for forensic scientists" (2004) and "Bayesian networks for probabilistic inference and decision analysis in forensic science" (2014). As editor of the journal Law, Probability and Risk (Oxford University Press), he continues to shape the field of forensic statistics while maintaining active research in probabilistic inference and decision analysis.

Dr. Tacha Hicks serves as a forensic scientist at the University of Lausanne's School of Criminal Justice and interpretation specialist at the University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne-Geneva. Her expertise centers on forensic evidence interpretation, particularly focusing on micro-traces including glass, fibers, and DNA analysis. Through her Coursera courses "Challenging Forensic Science: How Science Should Speak to Court" and "La science forensique au tribunal: témoin digne de foi?" she helps students understand forensic evidence interpretation principles. Since 2009, she has developed and delivered online interpretation courses for forensic practitioners and lawyers, collaborating with leading experts in the field. Her academic journey includes Ph.D. research on glass analysis and postdoctoral work in DNA evidence interpretation. Her professional experience includes three years at the Forensic Science Service's R&D Physical Science department. As the SCJ representative at the DNA ENFSI group and interpretation leader at the University Center of Legal Medicine, she continues to advance forensic science through research, teaching, and publications on evidence interpretation.

Dr. Garen Markarian serves as Professor of Accounting at HEC Lausanne (University of Lausanne), where he specializes in corporate finance, governance, and accounting. Through his Coursera courses "Accounting 1" and "Accounting 2," he guides students through fundamental and advanced accounting concepts, from basic financial statements to complex corporate governance issues. His teaching methodology emphasizes practical applications while maintaining theoretical rigor, helping students understand both the technical aspects of accounting and their real-world implications. His expertise spans financial statement analysis, corporate governance, and executive compensation. His courses combine traditional accounting principles with modern business practices, preparing students for contemporary financial challenges. His teaching approach makes complex accounting concepts accessible to students while maintaining high academic standards, reflecting his commitment to excellence in accounting education.

Dr. Céline Rozenblat serves as Professor of Urban Geography at the University of Lausanne's Institute of Geography and Sustainability, where she previously served as Director (2018-2022). As vice-president of the International Geographical Union (IGU) and member of the Complex Systems Society, she brings extensive expertise in urban systems analysis. Her research focuses on systems of cities at European and world scales, multinational firm networks, inter-urban dynamics, and spatial analysis. Through her Coursera course series "Healthy Urban Systems," she helps students understand urban health systems through multiple perspectives, from theoretical concepts to practical applications. Her work includes developing comprehensive databases on European and worldwide cities, analyzing their networks and evolution through multi-dimensional and long-term approaches. As a former member of the International Science Council's Urban Health & Well-being commission, she has contributed significantly to understanding planetary urban health. Her research combines geographical analysis with complex systems theory, particularly focusing on the relationships between multi-level urban processes and city-system network dynamics.

Dr. Ulrich Hoffrage serves as Professor of Decision Theory at the University of Lausanne, bringing extensive expertise in behavioral science and organizational decision-making. His academic background includes psychology studies at the University of Konstanz (Germany) and a Ph.D. from the University of Salzburg (Austria). His research focuses on bounded rationality, simple heuristics in social contexts, cognitive illusions, risk communication, and consumer decision-making. Through his Coursera course "Unethical Decision Making in Organizations," he explores how organizational contexts influence ethical behavior, examining the complex forces that push good people toward unethical decisions. His teaching portfolio includes courses in Judgment and Decision Making, Managerial Decision Making, and Risk Management. His work investigates the intricate relationship between individuals and their environments, particularly focusing on how societal contexts impact organizational behavior and ethical decision-making

Dr. Dominique Bourg, born on August 11, 1953, serves as Professor Emeritus of Environmental Philosophy at the University of Lausanne's Faculty of Geosciences and Environment. As a French philosopher and specialist in ecological thinking, he has significantly influenced environmental policy and thought. His work on the Coppens Commission led to the creation of France's Environmental Charter, now part of the French Constitution. His research focuses on ecological thinking, sustainable development, risk assessment, and ecological democracy. His recent publications include "Une nouvelle Terre" (2018), "Le Marché contre l'humanité" (2019), and "Retour sur Terre: 35 propositions" (2020). As former president of the scientific council of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation, he advocates for new political institutions capable of addressing long-term environmental challenges. Through his teaching and research, he emphasizes the critical relationship between human activity and ecological equilibrium, arguing that traditional governmental approaches are obsolete in a world of finite resources. His work consistently promotes the integration of environmental protection with economic development and social progress

Dr. Fabien Ohl serves as Professor of Sociology of Sports at the University of Lausanne's Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, where he previously served as director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and dean of the faculty. His research focuses on sports sociology, particularly doping in cycling and sports marketing. With over 2,159 citations and an h-index of 24, his work has significantly influenced sports sociology research. Through his bilingual Coursera courses "Doping: Sports, Organizations and Sciences" and "Dopage: Sports, Organisations et Sciences," he helps students understand the complex sociological aspects of doping in sports. His notable publications include "Social Capital and Sport Governance in Europe" (Routledge, 2010) and "L'épreuve du dopage: Sociologie du cyclisme professionnel" (PUF, 2008). His current work involves reforming professional cycling to reduce doping risks while examining the sociological factors that influence athlete behavior and organizational structures in sports.

Gabriel Salerno serves as Doctoral Assistant to Professor Dominique Bourg at the University of Lausanne's Faculty of Geosciences and Environment. His academic credentials include a Master of Science in Environmental Geosciences from the University of Lausanne, complemented by practical experience at the United Nations Environment Programme's "Adaptation to Climate Change" unit in Nairobi. His research within the IGD's environmental humanities group focuses on catastrophist discourses and the philosophy of history, particularly examining Western conceptions of civilizational collapse. Through his Coursera course "L'effondrement des civilisations," he explores historical patterns of societal collapse and their modern implications. His publications include significant contributions to the "Dictionary of Ecological Thought" (2015) and various reviews in Futuribles examining environmental consciousness, geo-constructivism, and collapsology. His work combines historical analysis with contemporary environmental concerns, particularly focusing on resource depletion and sustainability scenarios, as evidenced by his co-authored work with Dominique Bourg on sustainability scenarios.

Dr. Gillian Bartlett-Esquilant serves as Professor and Research Director in the Department of Family Medicine at McGill University, while also contributing as a visiting scholar at the University of Lausanne's Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine. Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. (2001) and MSc (1996) in epidemiology from McGill University. Her excellence in academic leadership was recognized with the 2014 Carrie M. Derick Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Supervision and the Faculty of Medicine Honour List for Educational Excellence. Through her Coursera course "Pharmacogenomics in Primary Care," she helps healthcare professionals understand the implementation of personalized medicine in clinical settings. Her research focuses on knowledge translation and stakeholder engagement in personalized medicine, particularly in pharmacogenomics and primary care. As Executive Director of the Primary and Integrated Health Care Innovations Network Coordinating Office, she continues to advance the integration of precision medicine in primary care while promoting health promotion strategies and innovative educational approaches in family medicine.

Dr. Guido Palazzo serves as Professor of Business Ethics at HEC Lausanne and Vice Dean for programs and student affairs. His academic credentials include studies in business administration and philosophy at the University of Bamberg and a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Marburg. His research focuses on corporate responsibility in global supply chains, unethical decision-making in organizations, and the impact of organized crime on business. Through his Coursera course "Unethical Decision Making in Organizations," which has attracted over 35,000 participants, he helps students understand the mechanisms behind unethical behavior in organizations. His work has earned him recognition as one of the world's most cited business ethics scholars, and he received the Max Weber Award from the German president for his research on multinational corporations. He currently directs a training program on sustainable leadership for Chinese Communist Party senior officials while consulting for major corporations including Siemens, Daimler, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. His research combines philosophical frameworks with practical business applications, particularly focusing on ethical blindness and corporate responsibility in global contexts.