September 2025

General News

Past Events

Upcoming Events

People

Publications

 

General News

Change in the OCCR Board

Andreas Türler

Andreas Türler from the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences (DCBP) of the University of Bern is leaving the OCCR board. He has been a board member for 13 years and an important supporter of the Laboratory for the Analysis of Radiocarbon with AMS (LARA). The OCCR Board would like to thank Andreas for his many years of service.

Thomas Frölicher appointed Leading Author for the IPCC

Thomas Frölicher

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has appointed Thomas Frölicher, head of the Ocean Modelling group, as Coordinating Lead Author for Working Group I of the next Assessment Report. He will oversee the chapter on tipping points in the Earth system — a topic that will, for the first time, have its own dedicated section in the upcoming IPCC report.

Thomas has been a full professor for Climate and Environmental Physics at the University of Bern since 2014. His main research focus is on ocean heatwaves. Read our news for more details.

New video on long-term ecological experiment

Video Maddy

The OCCR produced a short film about the HOME Experiment. It explains the background of the so called Hasli Outdoor Mesocosm Experiment. The video was part of the presentation by the Terrestrial Ecology group at the recent Night of Research. HOME is a long-term ecological experiment that explores how extreme climatic events – such as droughts and heatwaves – affect life on land. The focus of the experiment is on biodiversity.

Kickoff for UrbanLab Viererfeld

On 1 September 2025, the UrbanLab Viererfeld project kicked off with a launch meeting. In this project, nine research groups from the University of Bern, the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, and the Wyss Academy for Nature are collaborating with the City of Bern, Bern University of Applied Sciences, PHBern, and other partners. The research activities focus on how the ecological and social sustainability goals, set by the City of Bern Council, can be achieved in the construction of the new neighborhood in Viererfeld and Mittelfeld. To this end, UrbanLab collects practical data and simulates interactions between residential structures and environmental factors. The results are intended to provide concrete impetus for climate-adapted and socially sustainable urban development in the planning processes. UrbanLab Viererfeld is part of the Engaged UniBE platform. For more details, visit the UrbanLab page.

UrbanLab Gruppenbild

Past Events

OCCR Advisory Board Meeting

The OCCR Advisory Board (AB) met for the first time from 10 to 12 September 2025: For valuable and exemplary insights to the OCCR interdisciplinary research, OCCR director Martin Grosjean and OCCR president Karin Ingold took the four AB members to the meso-cosmos experiment of the Terrestrial Ecology group at the Hasli Ethological Station, the MobiLab for Natural Risks and the OCCR Plenary Meeting where several presentations provided them with gained valuable insight into the Centers interdisciplinary research approach. The AB was established in 2022 on the behest of the University Executive Board (Universitätsleitung). Its purpose is to provide the OCCR with a critical external view and to offer advice. The next bi-annual AB meeting will take place in 2027.

Night of Research 2025

Night of Research 2025
Dres Hubacher

Around 10,000 curious minds flocked to the Night of Research 2025 (Nacht der Forschung 2025), where they met hundreds of researchers from the University of Bern. The joint appearance of the OCCR attracted both adults and children. In total, seven of the OCCR’s research groups participated in the Nacht der Forschung with exhibits ranging from an elaborate ocean circulation model to a sponge city made of Lego bricks (as depicted in the picture). A big thank you to everyone involved! For more impressions, read the article here (in German).

DACH 2025

Dach2025

The DACH 2025 brought 250 researchers, practitioners, and students from Switzerland and neighboring countries to Bern for a week-long conference with a “Focus on Weather and Climate.” In particular, participants enjoyed the relaxed setting, which allowed more time for presentations, keynotes, and Q&A sessions, as well as the informal atmosphere during the aperitif, conference dinner, and excursions (for example to the MeteoSwiss Technical Center in Payerne, as depicted in the picture).

The introduction of English as the language of science was equally appreciated, as was the excellent organization by the OCCR staff and student assistants.

Globe 2025

Globe2025
Manu Friedrich

On 13 June, more than 1,500 Swiss students aged 10 to 18 took part in the GLOBE research competition on environmental issues, an international educational program for all school levels. The young researchers addressed specific topics ranging from the quality of soil and streams in their region to biodiversity on school grounds and the impact of climate change on plants. The competition was organized by GLOBE Switzerland,

a mainly US-funded program for "Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment", with the support of the OCCR. For more details, read the article here (in German).

ContaSed 2025

Contased

The 3rd International Conference on Contaminated Sediments – ContaSed2025 at UniS examined sediments as both sources and sinks of contaminants. Organizers, the steering committee, and invited experts and participants represented a broad international mix from academia, research institutes, and agencies, with leading sediment and contaminant scientists from Europe and North America. A special round table titled

“How to regulate chemicals?” emphasized on PFAS and sediment management. The conference attracted more than 80 participants. After its success and as a unique platform to discuss sediment contamination research, ContaSed will continue as a series of conferences held in Switzerland every 5 years (ContaSed2030).

Upcoming Events

Feminist Philosophy of Climate Change: Fall 2025 online seminar

The online seminar explores the intersections between feminist perspectives and climate change. It includes five individual events. They will take place between 1 October and 26 November 2025. All events include a discussion. For more details see the seminar website.

Application presentations in Prehistoric Archaeology

On 22 and 23 October 2025, six candidates for the Professorship in Prehistoric Archaeology, with a focus on climate and wet soil archaeology, will have their application presentations. For more details see the program.

2. Berner Klimarechtstagung

The second Bern Climate Law Conference (in German) will take place at the University of Bern on 30 October 2025. Topic: Climate protection and grey emissions. For details see the conference website.

Hans Sigrist Symposium: Climate Justice: A Framework for Safe Boundaries of the Earth System

The Hans Sigrist Prize 2025 Symposium will take place at the University of Bern on Friday, 5 December 2025. This one-day Symposium will feature the Hans Sigrist Prize Lecture by the Laureate 2025, accompanied by high-profile keynote lectures in the field of essential science for climate legislation and litigation, climate law, climate ethics and Earth System justice. For more details see the full program.

STING26: Stable Isotope Meeting 2026

STING26 will take place between 6 and 8 January 2025 and focus on measuring, analysing, and interpreting N2O and CH4 (and other non-CO2) isotopes. This workshop will bring together experts at the forefront of stable isotope research. For more details see the website of the event.

OCCR Plenary Meetings 2026

The next OCCR Plenary Meetings will take place on 12 February 2026 and 9 September 2026, respectively. Save the dates!

Young Researchers Meeting 2026

The next Young Researchers Meeting will take place at Hotel Meielisalp on Lake Thun on 11 and 12 June 2026. Career planning for Climate Scientists will be the main subject. Save the date!

Swiss Climate Summer School 2026

The Swiss Climate Summer School 2026 will take place in Grindelwald from 30 August to 4 September 2026. It will focus on climate variability across space an time. The deadline for applications is 16 January 2026. Go to the Summer School webpage for more details.

Beat the Heat 2026

The next “Beat the Heat” Conference will take place at Uni Tobler on 9 September 2026. It will focus on Societal Engagement and Outreach. Save the date!

People

Visiting scientist: Jerry F. McManus

Visiting scientist: Jerry F. McManus

Jerry F. McManus, Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES) at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), will be next year’s visiting scientist to the Past Climate and Biogeochemical Studies on Ice Cores group.

Claus Beisbart appointed full Professor

Claus Beisbart

The University administration has promoted Claus Beisbart to Full Professor of Philosophy of Science. Claus had been an Associate Professor at the University of Bern since 2012. He also heads the OCCR’s Climate Ethics and Philosophy of Climate Science group. For further information, read the University of Bern media release (in German).

Benjamin Stocker appointed Associate Professor

Benjamin Stocker

Benjamin Stocker has been appointed as an Associate Professor in Earth Observation and Modeling in August 2025. Benjamin heads the Geocomputation and Earth Observation group.

Maria Leunda appointed as SNSF Professor

Maria Leunda

Maria Leunda has been appointed as SNSF professor. From 1 September 2025 to 30 August 2030, she will head the project “GENICA – Rescuing the untapped paleoGENomic information preserved in Ice CAves to disclose long-term genetic variability of mountain vegetation”, based at the OCCR’s Paleoecology group. The main objective is to combine paleoecology and paleogenomics to investigate the effects of past environmental disturbance on European  mountain vegetation.

In 2019, during her time as a PostDoc at the Palaeoecology group, Maria was awarded the prestigious Harper Prize.

ERC Starting Grant for Frerk Pöppelmeier

Frerk Pöppelmeier

As one of three researchers from the University of Bern, Frerk Pöppelmeier was awarded an ERC Starting Grant for his project about the tipping dynamics of marine biogeochemistry from past climate transitions. To better understand future climate risks, the project examines how past climate and ocean tipping points affected the marine carbon cycle. In particular, it investigates how disruptions in ocean circulation and biogeochemistry influence the ocean’s CO₂ uptake. For this, it combines marine sediment data of past abrupt climate events with advanced Earth system modelling.

The insights will help the researchers assess the potential impact of tipping points on the carbon cycle under future climate scenarios. Frerk Pöppelmeier heads the Global Biogeochemical Modeling group.

SNSF Ambizione Grant for Monika Feldmann

Monika Feldmann

Monika Feldmann from the Mobiliar Group for Climate Impact Research has been awarded an SNSF Ambizione Grant for her project “Unraveling the Impact of Topography on Severe Thunderstorms in a Changing Climate – StormScape”.  StormScape aims to explore the role of topography and the impact of climate change in the formation of severe thunderstorms in the European Alpine region. The Alpine region is ideal for studying these interactions since it is a thunderstorm hotspot in Europe, while also

being particularly sensitive to climate change. To study the topographic influence, Monika plans to use full-complexity models and idealized modeling approaches. The StormScape project will be based at the ETH Zürich.

SNSF Ambizione Grant for Petra Zahajska

Petra Zahajska

Petra Zahajska from the Lake Sediments and Paleolimnology group has been awarded an SNSF Ambizione Grant for her project  Pixel2Paleo: Exploring lake sediments with high-resolution imaging techniques to discover biogeochemical fingerprints of paleoenvironments” . Traditional methods of analysing sedimentary archives often lack the temporal resolution and comprehensiveness to fully unlock their potential. This project represents a pioneering effort in utilising advanced imaging methods

to unravel the intricate relationship between lake sediments and past climate and environmental conditions. The Pixel2Paleo project will be based at the OCCR’s Sedimentary Geochemistry group.

Extension of OCCR PostDocs

Laurie Durel and Nicolas Ofiti

The OCCR Board has approved the extension of the PostDoc employments of Laurie Durel and Nicolas Ofiti. Laurie explores the discrepancies between climate change policies on national and regional levels in federal states such as Switzerland, while Nicolas’ research focuses on soil-microbe interactions, particularly during heat extremes such as droughts. The OCCR currently finances a total of eight PostDocs.

GAW-CH/GCOS-CH: Stefan Brönnimann chairs steering committee

Stefan Brönnimann

Stefan Brönnimann, head of the Climatology group and OCCR Vice-President, was appointed chair of the Swiss GAW / GCOS Scientific Steering Committee by 1 October 2025. He replaces emeritus Thomas Stocker, the OCCR’s former president. GAW-CH (Global Atmosphere Watch) and GCOS-CH (Global Climate Observing System) are the Swiss branches of two international programs. They aim to secure long-term observations of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and the entire climate system and to ensure that the generated data is accessible.

Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize

Sina Aregger

Sina Aregger, a PhD with the Paleoecology Group, has been awarded with the 2024 Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize for the best MSc in Climate Sciences. Her Master’s thesis was entitled „Climate and human forcing of montane vegetation dynamics during the past 15,600 years in the Simmental, Northern Swiss Alps“.

Lara Oxley: On the Search for Arctic N2O Emissions

Lara Oxley

As part of a comprehensive field campaign to elucidate on spatial patterns of Arctic greenhouse gas fluxes, PhD candidate Lara Oxley from the Geocomputation and Earth Observation group (GECO) and SNF-funded PanArcN project helped carry out multiple field projects. Lara was searching for new sources of N2O emissions with novel measurement techniques. While nitrogen is generally sparse in the Arctic, thawing of permafrost may substantially increase its availability and its role in causing emissions of the strong greenhouse gas N2O. The campaign was jointly organized by the EU Synergy funded Q-ARCTIC project and the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry.

Maha Sheikh: Youth Author for the Asian Water and Development Outlook

Maha Sheikh

Maha Sheikh, a PhD student with the Geomorphology, Natural Hazards and Risks  group was selected as a Youth Author for the Asian Water and Development Outlook (AWDO 2025). She represented the University of Bern at the Asia-Pacific Youth Symposium and Asian Urban and Water Development Forum held in Manila, Philippines. Her insights will be published as a part of AWDO 2025, a flagship Asian Development Bank report.

Researchers who have recently joined the OCCR:

Stuart Grange is a new PostDoc with the Isotope Biogeoscience group. He is an atmospheric and data scientist who completed his PhD in atmospheric chemistry at the University of York in 2019. After his PhD, he worked as a researcher at Empa from 2019 – 2024 on the NABEL (National Air Pollution Monitoring Network) program. Stuart’s team is working on the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) measurements at Jungfraujoch.

Audrey de Huu is a new PhD with the Global Biogeochemical Modelling group. She completed a Master’s in Climate Sciences with a specialization in Earth System Science at the OCCR with a thesis entitled “Exploring self-sustained oscillations of the AMOC in an ocean model”. Audrey is interested in climate system dynamics, particularly the role of the oceans. The working title of her PhD thesis is “Seamlessly simulating climate from the past into the future”.

Nicholas Triozzi is a new PostDoc with the Prehistoric Archaeology group. He completed his PhD in Anthropology at the University of California Santa Barbara in 2024. His research involved the creation of web-based story maps, focusing on the decommissioning of gas and oil infrastructure in California and the challenges of achieving environmental justice in Chile.

Yasmine Farhat is a new PostDoc with the Soil Science group. She completed her PhD in Environmental Engineering at theUniversity of Washington. Yasmine also started a SNF Swiss Postdoc Fellowship. Her research focuses on the effects of temperature and elevated CO2 levels on the uptake of toxic arsenic compounds in rice.

Mirely Guzmán is a new PhD with the Climate Scenarios for Sustainable Development group. She completed a Master’s in Environmental Protection and Management at the University of Edinburgh, with a thesis entitled “Evaluating the Capacity of Biochar to Enhance Phytomanagement Techniques for Heavy Metal-Polluted Soils.” The working title of her PhD thesis is “Future Pathways for Climate, Land Use, and Biodiversity”.

Tiberiu Sava is part of the scientific staff at the Laboratory for the Analysis of Radiocarbon with AMS (LARA). Tiberiu is a specialist in the fields of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), ion beam applications, radiochemistry, radiochronometry (14C) and laboratory management. At LARA, he is the technical responsible of the MICADAS AMS system and peripherals.

Yann Vitasse is a new a scientific staff member with the Dendrosciences group. He completed a PhD in Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Université de Bordeaux in 2009. Yann is a Senior Researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research.

Killian Brennan is a new PostDoc with the Cloud Dynamics group. He completed his PhD in Atmospheric Dynamics at ETH Zürich. His research focuses on storm dynamics, precipitation efficiency, and climate impacts, with experience in field campaigns, radar, drone measurements, and numerical modelling.

Karolina Janecka is a new PostDoc with the Dendrosciences group. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology at the University of Greifswald.

Siro Hosmann is a new PhD with the Quaternary Geology and Paleoclimatology group. He completed a Master’s at the Institute of Geological Sciences of the University of Bern with a thesis entitled "Revealed by glacier melting: Swath bathymetry of young proglacial lake provides new insights into subglacial processes in overdeepened settings”. Siro is currently working on an SNF project entitled "Mutliple interglacial sequences in a Darwin-type barrier-reef lagoon: Implications for paleoclimate, sea-level changes and subsidence since the Middle Pleistocene".

Eveline C. Zbinden is a new PostDoc with the Human Environment Systems Modelling group. In her PhD Climate Sciences project, she created a European flood atlas of the 14th century based on historical written sources. Eveline is part of the project Hydrography of Mesopotamia (HyMes), a Sinergia project funded by SNSF. She aims to advance the understanding of modeling historical landscapes and floodplains with an interdisciplinary team of scientists from Archaeology, Philology and Digital humanities.

Hyuna Kim is a new PostDoc with the Global Biogeochemical Modelling and the Geocomputation and the Earth Observation group. She completed her PhD in Climate Science at the Pusan National University, South Korea, where she worked on the quantification of freshwater-climate feedbacks in Earth system models. She aims to improve the coupling of a terrestrial vegetation component to the Bern3D model and investigate tipping point behavior with this coupled setup.

Christian Wirths is a new PostDoc with the Global Biogeochemical Modelling Group. He finished his PhD in July with the Earth System Modelling: Climate Dynamics group, during which he worked on multiscale dynamics of the Antarctic ice sheet. Christian will develop new downscaling techniques based on machine learning for improved coupling of components in an Earth system model.

A warm welcome to all of you!

Researchers who have recently left the OCCR:

Simon Montfort was a PhD with the Policy Analysis and Environmental Governance group (PEGO). Simon is now a PostDoc at the Laboratory on Human-Environment Relations in Urban Systems at the EPFL.

Maiken Maier was a PhD with the Policy Analysis and Environmental Governance group (PEGO). Maiken is now a Senior Researcher and Assistant Project Manager at the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy (ISTP) at the ETH Zürich.

Guochun Shi was a PhD with the Atmospheric Processes and Radiometry group. Guochun is now a PostDoc at the University of Colorado Boulder. This position is funded by the Swiss Postdoc.Mobility fellowship.
 
All the best for your future career!

Recent journal publications by OCCR members

See all the publications by OCCR members.