Markus Gerber is one of six professors at the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health (DSBG), where he plays a central role in shaping the department’s academic strategy, research profile, and external funding development. He served as Head of Department from 2023 to 2025 and continues to contribute to governance as a member of the Department Board. In this role, he has actively advanced competitive research funding, fostered international consortia, and strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration across faculties and partner institutions. He contributes extensively to both Bachelor’s and Master’s curricula and serves as co-chair of the PhD Commission of the Medical Faculty, where he helps shape doctoral training and promote excellence in early-career research. Under his leadership, the University of Basel initiated the Graduate School of Medical and Health Sciences (GSMHS), which, for the first time, enables a fully integrated, cross-faculty doctoral program spanning the Medical and Science Faculties.

He holds a Master’s degree in Sport Science and a Master’s degree in French Philology from the University of Basel. He completed his PhD in Sport Psychology in 2006 at the Institute of Sports Science, University of Freiburg (Germany) under the supervision of Reinhard Fuchs and Uwe Pühse, and obtained his Habilitation from the Medical Faculty of the University of Basel in 2013. His international profile has been shaped through visiting scholar appointments at the School of Human Movement Studies of the University of Queensland (Australia), and the University of Gothenburg, including collaboration with the Institute of Stress Medicine and the Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science.

He serves as Associate Editor for Sports Psychiatry and as a member of the editorial boards of Psychology of Sport and Exercise and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. Through more than 350 peer reviews for high-impact journals, he actively contributes to maintaining scientific quality and advancing the field. In recognition of this work, he received the Reviewer of the Year Award from Psychology of Sport and Exercise in 2022, alongside multiple Publons Top Peer Reviewer distinctions.

His leadership extends beyond the university to the broader scientific community. He served as Vice President of the Swiss Association of Sport Sciences (SGS) from 2020 to 2026, where he contributed to shaping national research priorities and strengthening the competitiveness of sport science. He is an active member of leading international organizations, including the European Federation of Sport Psychology (FEPSAC), European College of Sport Science (ECSS), International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP), North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), and the German Sport Psychology Association (asp). His contributions have been recognized with several distinctions, including Young Investigator Awards and election as a Fellow of AIESEP (Association Internationale des Ecoles Supérieures d’Education Physique) in 2018.

Major Achievements

Markus Gerber has established an internationally recognized, third-party funded research program at the intersection of psychosocial health and physical activity. He has authored more than 380 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals and published or edited 10 books. According to the Ioannidis report, he ranks among the 200 most influential sport scientists worldwide, reflecting the sustained impact, visibility, and citation reach of his work.

A central pillar of his research is the acquisition and leadership of competitive research funding. He has successfully secured and coordinated numerous nationally and internationally funded projects, enabling the implementation of large-scale, multi-site intervention studies. These projects are characterized by strong translational impact, bridging fundamental research, clinical application, and public health policy.

His research is embedded in strong interdisciplinary and clinical networks. He collaborates closely with institutions such as the University Hospital Basel, the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Clinic Sonnenhalde, Psychiatric Services Solothurn, and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, as well as numerous international partners. These collaborations facilitate the direct translation of research findings into clinical practice and health promotion strategies.

With more than 20 years of experience in physical activity coaching research, he has been a pioneer in developing structured, evidence-based interventions for clinical populations. He developed the first physical activity coaching program specifically designed for inpatients with major depressive disorders, contributing to the integration of physical activity into mental health care systems.

In addition to his research, he is strongly committed to education, training, and knowledge transfer. As co-director of the CAS Personal Health Coach program at the University of Basel, he contributes to the professionalization of health coaching. The program is recognized by the Swiss Empirical Medical Register and supported by Swiss health insurers, underscoring its practical relevance and impact. Furthermore, as Head of the Center for Physical Activity Coaching (ZBB), he leads initiatives that translate scientific evidence into scalable, real-world applications for individuals seeking to adopt a more physically active lifestyle. For more information about ZBB see: https://bewegungsberatung.dsbg.unibas.ch/de/