Prof Alexandra Calmy

Professor Alexandra Calmy obtained her medical diploma in 1994 and was trained in internal medicine and in Infectious diseases; she completed a PhD in clinical research in 2009 in Sydney, Australia. She was nominated Associate Professor in 2014 and Full Professor in 2021 and is Head of the HIV/AIDS Unit of the University Hospital of Geneva. Professor Calmy’s research interest focuses on public health and humanitarian response to HIV/AIDS, specifically the provision of antiretroviral therapy and management of side effects in resource limited settings. She worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Cambodia in 1996 and has subsequently supported MSF’s HIV/AIDS work for more than ten years. She is a member of the WHO working groups on the writing and the implementation of guidelines related to the treatment of HIV in developing countries since 2001, co-lead of CSS13 committee at the “Agence National de Recherche sur le SIDA – maladies émergentes” (ANRS-MIE), member of the scientific board of the Swiss HIV Study Cohort (SHCS), and co-chair of the COVID-19 Federal Commission on clinical care in Switzerland.

Main fields of interest: The research projects conducted by the HIV/AIDS team are diverse. They include Swiss and international interventional clinical trials, epidemiological studies based on data from the Swiss HIV cohort study, as well as cohort studies focusing on metabolic effects associated with antiretroviral therapy. The clinical trials initiated by the research team focus on 1) progression of atherosclerosis in HIV patients under HAART after 48 weeks of lipid-lowering drug intervention and 2) a Swiss multicenter trial designed to assess the need for a statin prescription in patients whose antiretroviral treatment was changed. The team is also interested in the early detection of bone anomalies with the use of a high-resolution scanner for the analysis of the bone microstructure. Other epidemiological projects use the data of the Swiss cohort study to investigate patients with coronary heart disease, comparing their mortality with that of patients not infected with HIV. The centre also participates actively in all the projects initiated by the Swiss cohort study. A cohort of patients with metabolic complications and lipodystrophy (LIPO and Metabolism Group) was established 5 years ago. This work has demonstrated that a model of integrated multidisciplinary care can be beneficial for patients with complex comorbidities. The research group has a strong interest in clinical and epidemiological research projects conducted in countries with limited resources. Partnerships have been established with MSF, WHO, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and hospitals or hospital networks (Esther). These partnerships allow us to study different epidemics and patient management systems; it also offers training opportunities and a large variety of study fields.

Barbara Dätwyler

Head of the Multilateral Division, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Prof Marco Sassòli

Marco Sassòli, is professor of international law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva. From 2001-2003, he has been professor of international law at the Université du Québec à Montreal, Canada, where he remains associate professor. He is commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and pro bono special advisor on IHL of the prosecutor of the international Criminal Court.

Marco Sassòli has worked from 1985-1997 for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the headquarters, inter alia as deputy head of its legal division, and in the field, inter alia as head of the ICRC delegations in Jordan and Syria and as protection coordinator for the former Yugoslavia.

He has also served as chair of the board of Geneva Call, an NGO engaging non-State armed actors to respect humanitarian rules and as director of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

Marco Sassòli has published widely on international humanitarian law (most recently: International Humanitarian Law: Rules, Controversies, and Solutions to Problems Arising in Warfare, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, 2019), human rights law, international criminal law, the sources of international law, and the responsibility of states and non-state actors.

Mohini Ghai Kramer

Born in Kenya and of Indian origin, Mohini Ghai Kramer has over 25 years of professional experience in strategy development, management, project oversight, organisational development and global communications in the humanitarian and private sector.
She is currently working in Geneva as Global Head of Learning and Development at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), an organisation that responds quickly to help people affected by war and disasters in conflict zones. Mohini is responsible for setting the organisation’s global learning strategy and design, as well as the delivery of numerous trainings in multiple locations around the world. She also oversees the ICRC’s leadership development programmes to grow key talent. Most recently she has been working on leading and developing global and culturally diverse teams, designing programmes to enhance organizational performance and implementing large-scale change initiatives.
In her last role as Chief of Staff in the Director-General’s Office, Mohini was responsible for setting the strategic agenda for the executive leadership team, supporting the implementation and performance monitoring of the organization’s global strategy, as well as overseeing organisational development and innovation.
Previously, Mohini was Deputy Director of Communication and Information Management where she oversaw a wide range of internal and external communication projects, with the goal of relieving the suffering and protecting the dignity of people affected by war. For much of her career, she has specialized in communications, working in several domains such as strategic communications, branding, global campaigning, digital communication, data analytics and reputation management both in private and nonprofit organisations.
Mohini began her career working in marketing for an international pharmaceuticals company and later worked for the multinational communications agency Young & Rubicam. Passionate about social and humanitarian issues, she left the private sector and joined the ICRC to run their communications campaign to ban landmines.
She holds an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies and Marketing from Edinburgh University and a Postgraduate Degree in Communications from Concordia University, Montreal. She is an ardent supporter of lifelong learning and continues to upskill through various executive education programmes.
Mohini enjoys spending time outdoors, travelling to new places and finding fresh culinary delights with her husband and two children.

William Empson

William Empson is Head of Learning & development , Médecins Sans Frontières Switzerland (MSF). He started his assignment as Head of L&D in November 2019. His unit is in charge of creating , deploying and overseeing all learning activities in MSF’s countries of intervention.William Empson has been working with MSF since 2007 and has been deployed in different field position, notably in Iran, Niger, South Sudan, Haiti, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Before MSF William has worked in national NGOs in Syria and Armenia for 3 years. William Empson has completed his professional experience with studies in Humanitarian Action and studies of Adult learning both done in Geneva University.