News

Large-scale study by the Jacobs Center on Masculinity now published

Half of young men in Switzerland are concerned that “real men” are increasingly being marginalized in society. A large-scale study by the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich (UZH) in collaboration with männer.ch shows how prevalent restrictive and dominance-based concepts of masculinity are. These ideas go hand in hand with misogyny, a propensity for violence, and opposition to gender equality. Prevention efforts should start in schools. 

New study: How parental behavior is linked to brain development

How parental behavior changes over the course of childhood and how it is linked to the development of key brain structures is examined in a new study by PhD candidate and first author Mirjam Habegger and a research team from the NMR Kids Lab led by Prof. Nora M. Raschle. 

The 2026 LIFE Spring Academy took place from May 6 – 9 in Charlottesville, Virginia

bringing together around 50 LIFE Faculty and Fellows from Germany, the US, and Switzerland at the University in Virginia. Over four intensive days, participants shared and discussed their research in an atmosphere of openness, curiosity, and collaboration. 

Lukas Eggenberger and Michelle Loher Awarded UZH Population Center Seed Grant

Lukas Eggenberger and Michelle Loher (Risk and Resilience research area) and Andreas Baumer (Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute) were awarded a UZH Population Research Center Seed Grant 2026.

Talk by Prof. Philipp Kanske

The Social Brain - Empathy and Perspective Taking as Risky Strengths
May 18, 2026, 14:30 h
Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zurich, AND 4.55/57 (4th floor)

Talk by Prof. Sabine Seehagen

Sleep, Screens, and Science: A Contextual Approach to Early Development
April 27, 2026, 14:30 h
Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zurich, AND 4.55/57 (4th floor)

Sexual Minority Youth Show Distinct Substance Use Patterns from Adolescence into Young Adulthood

A new study led by Dr. Clarissa Janousch finds that young people who experience same-sex attraction use substances differently than their heterosexual peers - and that these differences vary by sex and change over time. The study followed participants from the Zurich Project on Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z-proso) between ages 17 and 24.

LEAPS: Family and Social Environment: Data collection has resumed!

How quickly time flies! It has already been almost a year since the parents of approximately 1,500 children participating in LEAPS – a longitudinal study in the Canton of Zurich that follows children throughout their compulsory schooling – provided us with information on a wide range of topics related to their family, their children’s leisure activities, and their well-being.

Talk by Prof. Björn Brey

The Death of King Coal and the Scars of Deindustrialization
March 30, 2026, 14:30 h
Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zurich, AND 4.55/57 (4th floor)

What Young Adults Worry About and What They Hope For

What do young adults worry about – and hope for – when they think about the future? A new study by the Risk and Resilience group of the Jacobs Center set out to investigate exactly that.

10th wave of surveys launched by z-proso

Over the coming weeks and months, the new z-proso fieldwork team will be out in the field conducting the surveys.

Talk by Prof. James Soland

How Measurement is Affecting Evaluation Results: Evidence from 100 Randomized Control Trials
February 23, 2026, 14:30 h
Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zurich, AND 4.55/57 (4th floor)

z-proso: One-Third of Young People Become Physically Aggressive Toward Their Parents

Physical aggression by adolescents against their parents is more common than many might believe, according to a long-term longitudinal study z-proso from Zurich. Among young people aged 11 to 24, physical aggression against parents peaks at 13, with approximately five percent continuing the behavior into adulthood.

New Publication from the Risk and Resilience Research Group: Adolescent Cannabis Use and Cognitive Performance

We are excited to share a new paper by former Jacobs Center postdoctoral researcher Dr. Clarissa Janousch and her collaborators from the Zurich Project on Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z-proso), published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.

Talk by Prof. Izumi Matsudaira

From Parents to Offspring: Unlocking Brain Development Through the “TRIO Study”
December 15, 2025, 14:30 h
Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zurich, AND 3.46 (3rd floor)

New Publication from the Risk and Resilience Research Group: Patterns of Alcohol and Cannabis Consumption among Adolescents

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Lilly Shanahan, who was named a 2025 Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate

Among scientists worldwide, Highly Cited Researchers represent 1 in 1,000: Clarivate recognizes the 0.1% of researchers who are most frequently cited globally.

Talk by Prof. Fernanda Marquez-Padilla

Rolling Back Progresa: School and Work After the End of a Landmark Anti-Poverty Program
November 24, 2025, 14:30 h
Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zurich, AND 3.46 (3rd floor)

National Future Day 2025 at the Jacobs Center

On November 13, the Jacobs Center welcomed young visitors for an inspiring National Future Day filled with hands-on science experiences.

Lukas Eggenberger receives data-viz award at SchreibXplosion 2025

Lukas Eggenberger, PhD student in the teams of Professors Lilly Shanahan (Jacobs Center) and Boris Quednow (Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich), was awarded a shared third place in the SchreibXplosion 2025 Data Visualization Competition of the University of Zurich.