SHINE was launched in April 2025 and is expected to last until April 2028. It is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) as part of the NRP83.
Our team is composed of an interdisciplinary project team and a Steering Committee.
Project leadership
Prof. Antje Horsch
is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), where she directs research ah the Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare (IUFRS). She founded the Swiss Perinatal Research Special Interest Group (SIG), which leads and coordinates collaborative initiatives that strengthen evidence-based practice and innovation in perinatal care, and has led national and international initiatives to improve perinatal mental health. Prof. Horsch also plays a key role in translating research into clinical practice, notably through her work on early screening for childbirth-related PTSD and the development of postpartum consultations. She serves as the science communication officer for the EU-funded COST Action on birth trauma and mental health.
Prof. Jessica Pehlke-Milde
As head of the Institute for Midwifery and Reproductive Health at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Prof. Pehlke-Milde brings 40 years of combined national and international academic and practical expertise in midwifery and reproductive health. As one of Europe’s leading centres for maternal health, the institute advances the discipline of midwifery through education, research, and leadership – focusing on the health of women, families, and society. Under her leadership, the institute fosters partnerships with 49 maternity clinics and contributes to interdisciplinary networks such as the Swiss Perinatal Research SIG. Prof. Pehlke-Milde’s work emphasizes innovative care models, community health initiatives, and transdisciplinary projects that integrate midwifery within public health systems. She also initiated and oversaw the ‘Baby in Mind’ exhibition, promoting perinatal wellbeing and community engagement in the Winterthur region.
Project team
Mathilde Cassou
is a PhD student at UNIL (CHUV) and she coordinates the SHINE project. Throughout an academic background in medical anthropology and bioethics in Canada and the UK, her work has been exploring the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of reproductive health, particularly in relation to family-making and hidden or hard-to-reach communities. She has conducted research on prenatal genetic screening with families living with Down syndrome, and with different stakeholders in the world of assisted reproduction. Mathilde has also taught critical approaches to health (including mental health) and medicine to biomedical sciences students. She is passionate about impactful research that shapes comprehensive and meaningful healthcare policies, responding to real-world needs.
Piroska Zsindely
is a midwife and research associate at the Institute for Midwifery and Reproductive Health at ZHAW, as well as a PhD student at UNIL. She has worked in both labour and postnatal wards, and teaches in the bachelor’s and master’s midwifery programs at ZHAW. Since 2019, she has been engaged in research in maternal and newborn care, with a particular focus on innovative models of care and education. Her doctoral work examines perinatal loneliness, an emerging topic in maternal and paternal health. Piroska also serves on the advisory board of the Swiss Midwives Association’s Group for Quality and Innovation, contributing to her expertise to strengthen midwifery practice and policy in Switzerland.
Jonathan Dominguez Hernandez
is a nurse, midwife, and researcher at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, with a strong background in law and public health. He has helped shape healthcare policies and clinical guidelines in both the UK and Austria, including work with the NHS and Cochrane Austria. His efforts have led to practical improvements in maternal care, such as Austria’s first national guideline for healthy pregnancies. Jonathan combines hands-on healthcare experience with legal and research expertise to support evidence-based practices and better patient outcomes.
Jennifer Bagehorn
is a service designer, lecturer, and researcher at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, specialising in improving healthcare services through user-centred design. She has led major projects in the UK and Switzerland, including creating the mental wellbeing platform Good Thinking, which has supported over 750,000 users. Her work focuses on making healthcare services more effective and accessible by involving patients in the design process and testing solutions in real-world settings. Jennifer combines academic research with hands-on experience to help build services that truly meet people’s needs.
Nadine Messerli-Bürgy
is a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Lausanne. She has taught and conducted research in Switzerland and abroad, including in the UK and Luxembourg. Her work focuses on understanding how biological and psychological factors contribute to mental health issues in children and teens. Using a mix of research methods, she aims to improve the effectiveness of psychotherapy through innovative approaches and collaborative interventions. Prof. Messerli-Bürgy is also involved in strengthening UNIL’s psychology program, in addition to actively collaborating across disciplines to advance mental health care for young people.
Zoë Darwin
is a Reader (Associate Professor) and research psychologist at the University of Huddersfield, UK, where she co-leads the University’s Maternal and Family Health Research. Her work focuses on perinatal mental health in all (future) parents across diverse family models. Dr Darwin has strong expertise in qualitative methodologies, and has led the development of the NHS England good practice guide on involving partners and other family members in specialist perinatal mental health services.
SHINE Steering Committee
Our Steering Committee is composed of representatives from different disciplinary fields of expertise related to SHINE’s main themes, as well as user organisations, advocacy groups, maternity service providers, and professional associations.
Gynaecology and obstetrics
Dr med. Barbara Bass has been a specialist in gynaecology and obstetrics with an interdisciplinary focus on psychosocial and psychosomatic medicine since 2001. As head of gynaecological and obstetric psychosomatics at the Frauenklinik Stadtspital Triemli Zürich, she developed a concept for the care of psychologically and psychosocially stressed pregnant women, and she has directed the Psychosocial Pregnancy Board (PSB). Throughout those years, she has worked as an independent practitioner in Zurich and as an attending physician in several private hospitals within the city’s area.
Dr med. Niklaus Flütsch is a gynaecology and obstetrics (FMH) specialist and has his practice in the canton of Zug. With specific experience in transgender health, he advises transgender people and individuals who experience hormonal issues. He is also a member of the World and European Professional Associations for Transgender Health, as well as Gynécologie Suisse (SGGG), which supports the SHINE project as a professional association.
Dr med. Nathalie Senn is a gynaecology and obstetrics FMH specialist and runs her practice in the canton of Aargau. She is experienced in caring for women who love women, bringing a specific « sex and gender » perspective to the project. She is a member of Gynécologie Suisse (SGGG).
Midwifery, nursing and maternity care
Ehsaan Ghannoo has been the pioneering specialist nurse for sexual and gender diversity health at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) for two years. In this role, he works to improve the care and support of LGBTIQA+ patients and their families, promote inclusive communication, and guide individuals toward appropriate services. He also leads awareness-raising efforts within clinical teams to foster respectful, equitable, and gender-neutral care practices.
Annika Redlich is the office manager of Periparto, the Swiss Association for Postpartum Depression, and advises parents in their perinatal journey based on her personal experience and the expertise she has acquired over the years. Founded in 2006, Periparto currently counts around 180 members, and its goal is to support people who suffer from perinatal depression and their families. Periparto officially supports the SHINE project.
Anne Steiner is an experienced midwife (MSc, EMBA) and has been responsible for quality and innovation at the Swiss Midwives Association (SHV) since 2019. She has many years of experience in the development of interprofessional guidelines and policies. The SHV has also confirmed its official support to the SHINE project.
Psychology, psychotherapy, and psychosocial care
Fabienne Forster is a Swiss-licensed psychotherapist (FSP), specialised in gynecopsychiatry and perinatal mental health. They work with individuals, couples and families, with a focus on pregnancy, childbirth, early parenthood, gender identity, and related wellbeing and mental health issues. They also engage in research, education and professional training, contributing to scientific knowledge and offering support to other practitioners.
Nadia Pasquier is a sociologist and Cheffe de service at the Fondation PROFA, which supports the project as it is fully in line with its mission, both in terms of the topics covered (gender, LGBTIQ+, couples) and the central theme of perinatal depression and its impact on the health of parents and babies.
Diversity, identity, and family support
Thomas Méchineau is General manager of the Swiss Rainbow Families Association, which represents the concerns and interests of Rainbow Families in Switzerland vis-à-vis politicians, authorities and the public and is the contact point for all questions relating to diverse family constellations.
Dr. Nathan Schocher has been on the board of männer.ch since 2023. He has been responsible for the LGBTI field of action as a project manager at the Gender Equality Office of the City of Zurich. männer.ch is an umbrella and specialist organisation that formulates and represents the concerns, potentials and vulnerabilities of boys, men and fathers in Switzerland. The organisation advocates a relational understanding of gender equality policy and gender mainstreaming, which combines women-specific, men-specific, and cross-gender sub-strategies. männer.ch supports SHINE.
Jacob Stokoe is a trans birthing parent, and the founder of a not-for-profit organisation called Transparent Change. He raises awareness and provides training for professionals, including those in perinatal services, about supporting trans parents at vulnerable times in their lives.