HIRZEL Hélène
Responsable du groupe Microbiomes et Santé
Secteur académique Ingénierie environnementale DSTE
Responsable de recherche
- Informations professionnelles
- Biographie
Diplômes : Doctorat ès Sciences en Génétique moléculaire et Biologie évolutive du développement, Université Paris VI 2002
Master en Génétique cellulaire et moléculaire Université Paris VI 1998
Bachelor en Biologie cellulaire et moléculaire Université Paris VI 1996
Master en Génétique cellulaire et moléculaire Université Paris VI 1998
Bachelor en Biologie cellulaire et moléculaire Université Paris VI 1996
Titres académiques : PhD, Privat-Docent
Domaine de recherche : Impact de l’environnement bâti sur la santé
Risques biologiques émergents pour la santé liés aux nouvelles technologies (e.g. Légionellose & douches économes en eau)
Gestion du risque sanitaire : exposition chronique aux polluants de l’environnement intérieur ; exposition chronique aux bioaérosols dans divers milieux professionnels
Qualité de l’air & santé au travail
Risques biologiques émergents pour la santé liés aux nouvelles technologies (e.g. Légionellose & douches économes en eau)
Gestion du risque sanitaire : exposition chronique aux polluants de l’environnement intérieur ; exposition chronique aux bioaérosols dans divers milieux professionnels
Qualité de l’air & santé au travail
Enseignement : Enseignement prégradué :
• Master of Sciences in Medical Biology, track Metabolism and human health, University of Lausanne: Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Environmental Microbiomes on Health; Microbial Characterization in At-Risk Environments
• Master Sciences et ingénierie de l'environnement, EPFL: Biological risks
Enseignement postgradué :
• resposable et enseignanteTutorial pour étudiant.e.s PhD de la Faculty of Biology and Medecine (FBM), University of Lausanne: “ Origin and consequences of the human microbiota imbalance on health”
Formation continue :
• Master of Advanced Studies in Human Toxicology : Industrial Toxicology and Epidemiology. The example of Mycotoxins; Indoor air quality, Unige
• Diplomas of Advanced Studies Work+Health: Biological risks; Occupational toxicology of mycotoxins; Occupational toxicology of endotoxins, Unil
• Certificate of Advanced Studies Santé Publique: Nuisances professionnelles biologiques et conséquence en santé publique, unil
• Direction de travaux de master (TM) et codirection de thèses de Doctorat (PhD) à l’Université de Lausanne (Faculté de biologie et médecine)
• Master of Sciences in Medical Biology, track Metabolism and human health, University of Lausanne: Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Environmental Microbiomes on Health; Microbial Characterization in At-Risk Environments
• Master Sciences et ingénierie de l'environnement, EPFL: Biological risks
Enseignement postgradué :
• resposable et enseignanteTutorial pour étudiant.e.s PhD de la Faculty of Biology and Medecine (FBM), University of Lausanne: “ Origin and consequences of the human microbiota imbalance on health”
Formation continue :
• Master of Advanced Studies in Human Toxicology : Industrial Toxicology and Epidemiology. The example of Mycotoxins; Indoor air quality, Unige
• Diplomas of Advanced Studies Work+Health: Biological risks; Occupational toxicology of mycotoxins; Occupational toxicology of endotoxins, Unil
• Certificate of Advanced Studies Santé Publique: Nuisances professionnelles biologiques et conséquence en santé publique, unil
• Direction de travaux de master (TM) et codirection de thèses de Doctorat (PhD) à l’Université de Lausanne (Faculté de biologie et médecine)
Hélène Niculita-Hirzel is Head of the Microbiomes and Health group within the Department of Health, Work and Environment at Unisanté (DSTE). Her research lies at the interface of environmental microbiology, human health, and exposure science.-
She holds a PhD in Life Sciences from the University of Paris 6 (France) and a Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Genetics from the same institution. She further expanded her interdisciplinary training as a research fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolution of the University of Lausanne.
Carring a Privat-Docent title of the Biology and Medicine Faculty (FBM) of the University of Lausanne (UNIL), she is actively involved in teaching and academic mentoring. She deliveres undergraduate and postgraduate courses at UNIL and EPFL, contributes to continuing education programs (including at the University of Geneva), and supervises Master’s and PhD students in interdisciplinary research projects.
Her primary research investigates how environmental pollutants and the microbiome of the built environment shape the human skin microbiome. A central objective of her work is to identify microbiome signatures emerging from interactions between humans, their social contexts, and built environments, with the aim of developing microbiome-based biomarkers of exposure to environmental pollutants.
She has strong expertise in microbiology, with a particular emphasis on the characterization of bioaerosols. Since 2010, she has led and coordinated research projects focused on air quality and its effects on human health.
More broadly, her research addresses the structure and dynamics of bacterial and fungal communities across a wide range of ecosystems—including built, urban, agricultural, and alpine soil environments—and the environmental factors governing their emission into the atmosphere. In parallel, she conducts epidemiological studies to assess the impact of environmental microbial exposure on respiratory and overall human health.
Through her work, Hélène Niculita-Hirzel aims to foster interdisciplinary collaborations bridging environmental sciences, microbiology, epidemiology, and public health, and actively welcomes motivated students and partners interested in microbiome–environment–health interactions.
She holds a PhD in Life Sciences from the University of Paris 6 (France) and a Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Genetics from the same institution. She further expanded her interdisciplinary training as a research fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolution of the University of Lausanne.
Carring a Privat-Docent title of the Biology and Medicine Faculty (FBM) of the University of Lausanne (UNIL), she is actively involved in teaching and academic mentoring. She deliveres undergraduate and postgraduate courses at UNIL and EPFL, contributes to continuing education programs (including at the University of Geneva), and supervises Master’s and PhD students in interdisciplinary research projects.
Her primary research investigates how environmental pollutants and the microbiome of the built environment shape the human skin microbiome. A central objective of her work is to identify microbiome signatures emerging from interactions between humans, their social contexts, and built environments, with the aim of developing microbiome-based biomarkers of exposure to environmental pollutants.
She has strong expertise in microbiology, with a particular emphasis on the characterization of bioaerosols. Since 2010, she has led and coordinated research projects focused on air quality and its effects on human health.
More broadly, her research addresses the structure and dynamics of bacterial and fungal communities across a wide range of ecosystems—including built, urban, agricultural, and alpine soil environments—and the environmental factors governing their emission into the atmosphere. In parallel, she conducts epidemiological studies to assess the impact of environmental microbial exposure on respiratory and overall human health.
Through her work, Hélène Niculita-Hirzel aims to foster interdisciplinary collaborations bridging environmental sciences, microbiology, epidemiology, and public health, and actively welcomes motivated students and partners interested in microbiome–environment–health interactions.