1978-89 
First training in Molecular Biology with a Diploma from the Biocenter at the University of Basel (Switzerland), then a second full training with a "Lizentiat"; in Philosophy and Sociology at the Universities of Basel and Freiburg im Breisgau. 

 

1989-1996  
Research Assistant for Bioethics in the group of Prof. Werner Arber,  Department of Microbiology, at the Biocenter of the University of Basel. Teaching and writing in many areas of practical philosophy, particularly on nature, biology, biotechnology and medicine. 1990-1995  
Doctoral dissertation in Philosophy at the Technical University of Darmstadt (supervisor Prof. Gernot Böhme).  

 

1995-2000 
Habilitation for Philosophy at the University of Basel. 

 

since 1996 
Establishment and direction of the Unit for Ethics in the Biosciences in collaboration with Dr Jackie Leach Scully, which hosted a research group and a series of funded projects. The projects combined qualitative social research and normative reflection in bioethics. Topics included: somatic gene therapy, genetic testing, genetically modified organisms, patients’ views on decisions at the end of life, reproductive medicine, embryo and stem cell research.  They received support from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Academy of the Medical Sciences,  Oncosuisse, the European Union and others. 

 

1997-1998 
Research Fellow at the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management (ESPM) of the University of California at Berkeley.

2000-2007 Assistant Professor of Bioethics at the University of Basel. 


2007 Titularprofessor of Philosophy at the University of Basel

1999-2002 President of the Swiss Society for Biomedical Ethics; 2001-2009 
President of the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics. Elected by the Swiss Government, advising the Swiss parliament and government in matters of bioethics, governance of human biotechnologies and ethics of medicine.

Fall/Winter 2008 
Visiting Professor at the Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences (PEALS) Research Centre, Newcastle University. 2008 - 2011
Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics (LSE). Since 2012
Visiting Professor in the Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine, within the School of Social Studies and Public Policy at King's College London


Since 2009 Professor of Theory and Ethics in the Biosciences at the Institute of History of Medicine and Science Studies at the University of Lübeck (Germany)