Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID)

The MCID is a multidisciplinary strategic center at the University of Bern dedicated to the study and mitigation of healthcare, societal, ethical, and economic risks from infectious diseases. The MCID brings together high impact academic researchers with the aim of determining the origins of infectious disease risks, preparing for and managing these risks.

The launch of the MCID has been made possible through a generous donation by the Vinetum Foundation.

Download the MCID brochure in English, German or French for an overview of the MCID and its activities and sign up to receive the MCID newsletter to read quarterly news from the center.

NEWS AND EVENTS

MCID Teaching

MCID Colloquium on Pandemic Preparedness

Twenty-three students have completed this year's MCID Colloquium on Pandemic Preparedness, culminating with a flipped-classroom exam where they presented pandemic preparedness strategies on a range of pathogens from the perspective of different disciplines.

The SPREAD

Latest issue of The SPREAD now out

The latest issue of the MCID quarterly newsletter, The SPREAD, is now out. Read this, and previous issues, to learn more about MCID research on infectious diseases from a range of disciplines.

Annual Event 2025

MCID Annual Event 2025

Nearly 100 participants joined the MCID Annual Event for a full day of talks, posters, and discussion highlighting the centre’s diverse infectious disease research. Keynotes and presentations explored topics ranging from vector-borne disease surveillance and respiratory virus exposure to public attitudes toward science and misinformation. The event concluded with a panel on science communication in a polarised world, underscoring the importance of new strategies to connect researchers with wider audiences.

MCID members on Highly Cited Researchers List 2025

Congratulations to MCID members Prof. Dr. Georgia Salanti and Prof. Dr. Volker Thiel for their inclusion in the highly cited researchers list for 2025.

RESEARCH

MCID: Hot off the Press

'Bern, get ready', BEready, a household based cohort study for pandemic preparedness research in Switzerland: Pilot Study

The ‘Bern, get ready’ (BEready) study aims to establish a prospective ‘pandemic preparedness cohort’ in canton Bern. In preparation for the main data collection, the BEready team have published a pilot study where they evaluate remote data collection methods and sample collection without face-to-face contact, the feasibility of follow up, and the continuity of participation engagement. Findings from this pilot have facilitated refinements to the study design and procedures for the ongoing main cohort study, which aims to recruit 1,500+ households.

MCID-funded Research

Scientists in power plays: How substantive were scientists’ narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic?

We'd like to highlight a recently published article from the EPL describing work done within the context of a MCID-funded project. This paper published in Policy Studies Journal looked at the political role that scientists played during the COVID-19 pandemic and how their narratives, strategies, and media engagement can shape evidence-based policymaking.

MCID-funded Research

Does the Media open the Door to Conspiracy Narratives? Their role in "Debunking"

The University of Bern’s online magazine "UniAktuell" spotlights research from the Institute of Communication and Media Studies (IKMB), funded by the MCID. During the Covid-19 pandemic, IKMB researchers ran a real-time study tracking how conspiracy theories emerge, gain traction, and can be effectively countered by the media. In May, journalists and researchers came together in a joint workshop to turn these insights into practical strategies for stronger crisis communication.

MCID-funded Research

BEready in the spotlight, new articles from the UniAktuell and SNF "Horizonte" magazines

The BEready project was highlighted in two recent publications this month, in the UniAktuell online magazine from the University of Bern "Local research with a global perspective" and the SNF Horizonte magazine "After the pandemic is before the pandemic".

Contact

University of Bern
Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases

Hallerstrasse 6
3012 Bern

info.mcid@unibe.ch