Central board
Dr. med. Marc Schlaeppi
President
Kantonsspital St. Gallen
Born in Geneva and studied medicine in Lausanne. Married and father of two children.
After an exciting year of research at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research ISREC in Epalinges, I specialised in general internal medicine at the Communal Hospital of La Chaux – de – Fonds and at the University Hospital Zurich. My interest in integrative medicine led me to the Ita Wegman Clinic in Arlesheim for almost two years. I then had the privilege of completing a specialisation in medical oncology at the Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen. There, in collaboration with the Universities of Bern and Witten/Herdecke, we organised the Symposium Integrative Oncology and Research between 2009 and 2017. At the Cantonal Hospital, I founded the Centre for Integrative Medicine, which I have now been running successfully for 12 years. In addition to patient care and leadership tasks, I am also involved in research projects and teaching activities.
Developing integrative oncology to the highest level of quality is a major concern of mine. The founding of the Swiss Network for Integrative Oncology comes at the right time to promote research, teaching and quality at a national level. I am happy to commit myself to this as a member of the board and president.
Dr. med. Natalie Kalbermatten
Vice-President & Consensus group leader
Kantonsspital Münsterlingen
I grew up in eastern Switzerland and studied medicine at the University of Zurich. From the beginning of my medical studies, I was interested in various areas of integrative medicine (phytotherapy, homeopathy, anthroposophic medicine) and continued my education in these fields. In my MD dissertation I designed and conducted an observational study on St. John’s wort fresh plant tincture in patients with depression. I completed my internal medicine training at Heiden Hospital, St. Gallen Cantonal Hospital and Münsterlingen Cantonal Hospital. During my specialist training, I became fascinated by palliative medicine, specialized in this subject (interdisziplinärer Schwerpunkt) and completed a Master’s degree in Palliative Care and Policy at King’s College in London. I also worked for several years as a research assistant in oncological palliative care, focusing on decision-making in advanced cancer, integration of oncology and palliative care, and meaning of life and spirituality in advanced cancer, with presentation and publication of the research results at various congresses and scientific journals. Later, I was senior physician in palliative medicine at Münsterlingen Cantonal Hospital. I then returned to St. Gallen Cantonal Hospital where I completed my specialist training in medical oncology. I have a certificate of competence in anthroposophic medicine (VAOAS) and phytotherapy (SMGP). I am currently working as a senior physician in oncology at Münsterlingen Cantonal Hospital, where I am setting up an interprofessional integrative oncology consultation.
I am motivated to be part of the SNIO board because I recognize the need of many people affected by cancer to incorporate integrative medical methods and viewpoints into their treatment. I want to help ensure that patients have access to high-quality integrative oncology treatment and care that includes patient-centered communication, a holistic view of the human being and a high level of professional competence.
Dr. med. Marie-Estelle Gaignard
Secretary
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
I studied in Geneva and started my residency in oncology at HUG in 2017 before spending 3 years at the Kantonsspital Münsterlingen (doing internal medicine, then oncology). In November 2022, I returned to Geneva to complete my training as a scientific fellow. In 2018, we set up the SERENITY study with colleagues, a bi-centric study with the CHUV in Lausanne, which evaluated the benefits of a mindfulness program (MBCR) for women with breast and gynecological cancer. The study ended in 2022 and I’m currently part-time in the lab exploring the effects of mindfulness on the immune system and cancer-related parameters as part of my MD-PhD thesis. I’m also involved in the development of the HUG’s Center for Integrative Medicine, and I’m its referent for oncology. Finally, I trained myself in mindfulness meditation (MBSR) and regularly teach groups of patients.
My particular interest in mind-body approaches stems from the fact that I believe they are an excellent way of empowering patients to take care of themselves and regain control of their own health. I see these approaches as an essential tool in everyday life for coping with stress and improving health and well-being.
My motivation for getting involved in SNIO is based on the desire to bring together competent and passionate people, in order to offer patients the best possible quality of care in integrative medicine. Working together will also enable us to carry out multicenter studies, which I’m very excited about. Having worked in both French- and German-speaking Switzerland, I’m aware of the differences in healthcare culture that exist, particularly in integrative medicine, and I believe that collaboration between the different regions of our country will be a great enrichment for us as healthcare professionals, but also inevitably for patients.
Dr. med. Gisèle Montavon
Treasurer
HFR Fribourg – Hôpital Cantonal
Centre hospitalier universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) Lausanne
As a medical doctor (MD) I am specialized in internal medicine (FMH) and medical oncology (FMH), in my last year of medical phytotherapy training (SMGP/SSPM) and in my first year of training in psychosomatic and psychosocial medicine (CAS). From 2020 to 2024 I studied integrative medicine in the Center of Integrative and complementary medicine in canton Vaud’s university hospital (CHUV), where I have set up an integrative oncology consultation and also carried out integrative pain consultations.
Throughout my professional life, I tried to treat patients holistically, supporting them according to their needs and answering their questions about complementary medicine wherever possible. So when I discovered integrative oncology, it was the obvious answer to my way of practicing oncology. It is a pleasure to develop integrative oncology within CHUV’s oncology department and I have additionally opened a new integrative oncology consultation in Fribourg Cantonal Hospital (HFR). I am really motivated to participate in the development of this young discipline in Switzerland and give all patients access to high-quality integrative oncology.
Within the SNIO, I am looking forward to building a network, sharing experiences, enabling integrative oncology to be recognized by all oncologists as part of the general follow-up and growing evidence with studies, especially phytotherapy studies.
Extended board
Dr. med. Theresia Knittel
Education group leader
Kantonsspital Aarau
I grew up in Germany and studied medicine at the University of Mainz (D). I am married and have 3 children.
Already during my studies and further training as an internist, I regularly attended seminars and further training courses in anthroposophic medicine. Since then I have been involved in the organisation of seminars on anthroposophic medicine including regular lecturing. I have several years of practical clinical experience in anthroposophic departments and clinics in Germany and Switzerland (Ita Wegman Switzerland (Ita Wegman Clinic, Lukas Clinic, Niederlausitz Clinic, Arlesheim Clinic). 2020-2021 I worked as an internal medicine senior physician at the Arlesheim Clinic in the field of oncology and palliative medicine. Since the end of 2021, I have been working in the department of medical oncology at Aarau Cantonal Hospital. Since 2022, I have been responsible for setting up the area of integrative oncology there. I am a specialist in internal medicine (D), qualified in anthroposophic medicine FMH/SIWF, senior physician in integrative oncology and assistant physician in medical oncology at Aarau Cantonal Hospital.
It is important to me to work in a patient-centred way in my practical medical work as an oncologist and to meet the needs of people suffering from cancer in the sense of a multidimensional view of the human being. In addition to a sound scientific basis of my work, social and human competence is a central concern.
A „Swiss Network of Integrative Oncology“ will promote networking, quality assurance and further development within integrative oncology in Switzerland. It is an exciting challenge to support integrative oncology in the sense of methodological pluralism. In this context, supporting the area of further education and training is an exciting task for me.
PD Dr. med. Florian Strasser
Research group leader
Onkologie Schaffhausen AG
I grew up in a moderate sized town in easter Zürich Region (Zürcher Oberland) and studied at the University Zürich. Am a board certified Internist and Medical Oncologist, a Specialist for Palliative Medicine and for Clinic Nutrition, and am certified for delegated Psychotherapy, Homeopathy, Anthroposophic Medicine, and Evaluation in Insurance Medicine. I contributed to the scientific and clinical development of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care (also as prior chair of the ESMO Designated Centers Working Group), of nutrition in cancer care from prevention to end-of-life with special emphasis in cancer cachexia (also as prior chair of the MASCC working group Nutrition and Cachexia), of Fatigue Management and cancer rehabilitation in survivorship and advanced cancer, and recently with a new emphasis on integrative oncology. Currently I am working clinically and scientifically with emphasis on Cancer Fatigue, Nutrition / Cachexia and Survivorship, as Senior Research Consultant in Integrative Medicine in St. Gallen and I am academically affiliated with the University of Bern. I live in north-eastern Switzerland with my family.
My motivation to engage in SNIO is to contribute to a scientifically based further development of integrative oncology, rooted both in natural science and humanities, both in clinical care and research.
