Health Sciences & Health Policy

Department Health Sciences and Health Policy
Pilatusstrasse 20
P.O. Box 7992
CH-6000 Luzern 7
+41 41 228 46 32
E-Mail: healthsem@unilu.ch


The Department Health Sciences and Health Policy focuses on human functioning, disability and health. It has two sites: at the Lucerne University Campus and at the Guido A. Zäch Institute (GZI) of the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation in Nottwil. It conducts educational and research programs and coordinates a forum facilitating the translation of research into practice. It is lead by Professor Stucki who is also the director of Swiss Paraplegic Research (SPF) located at the GZI building in Nottwil.

The mission of the Department is to contribute to optimal functioning and social inclusion of people with health conditions. It is committed to strengthening the ties of education, research and practice based on an interdisciplinary approach and a comprehensive understanding of functioning, disability and health. It achieves its goal through clinical and community oriented studies and the corresponding identification of targets for policy, services and care interventions.

The Department conducts research in the area of human functioning, disability and health.
Along with the endorsement of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided a conceptual framework which integrates the biomedical perspective with the social model of disability. With the introduction of the term “functioning”, the integrative framework of the WHO adds a positive value to what was previously the exclusively negatively defined disability concept. According to WHO’s integrative framework, functioning is understood as a universal human experience comprising body functions and structures, activities, and participation in social systems.

The main educational program of the Department is a graduate or PhD program for human functioning. The structured PhD program, starting in 2010 will be established to create a competitive research environment. The curriculum emphasises scientific methods and research skills. The Seminar offers PhD and Post-Doc fellowships.

Courses in autumn term:
- Doctoral colloquium Health Sciences and Health Policy
- Methods in Health Sciences and Health Policy

For further information please contact:
Thomas Biewendt, Coordinator of Academic Program
thomas.biewendt@unilu.ch