Management Board Spiez Laboratory
Dr. Marc Cadisch, Director of Spiez Laboratory
Marc Cadisch studied pharmacy at the University of Bern. He completed his studies at ETH Zurich with a doctoral thesis in organic chemistry. He then worked in various positions in the corporate sector while pursuing further postgraduate studies in business management at the University of St. Gallen, earning his Executive MBA HSG in January 2003. In 2002, he joined Spiez Laboratory as the designated new director. He has served as Director of Spiez Laboratory since 1 April 2003; he is a member of the Federal Commission for NBC Protection (KomABC) and has been an honorary member of the Society of Swiss Industrial Pharmacists (GSIA) since 2012.
Stefan Mogl, Head of the Chemistry Division, Deputy Director of Spiez Laboratory
Stefan Mogl studied chemistry at Technikum Winterthur (now: ZHAW School of Engineering). He then worked as an occupational hygienist/analyst at the former Federal Office for Industry, Trade and Labour (BIGA). During this time, he completed a postgraduate degree in occupational health at ETH Zurich and the University of Lausanne. In 1997, he was trained as a chemical weapons inspector by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). After three years as an inspector, he took over the management of the OPCW Laboratory. During this period, he studied for an MBA at the Open University (UK). In 2005, he took on a new position as chemical weapons expert in the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). He became Head of the Chemistry Division at Spiez Laboratory in 2007. In addition, he served as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the OPCW from 2012 to 2013.
Marc Staufer, Head of the Nuclear Chemistry Division
Marc Stauffer began his professional training with an apprenticeship as a chemical laboratory technician. He then studied chemistry at the Burgdorf School of Engineering. During and after his studies, he worked in private industry. In 2011, he joined Spiez Laboratory, becoming project manager for the investigation of contaminated military sites. He subsequently took part in missions organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and also became a member of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). While working, he completed an EMBA degree and further training in radiation protection. In 2016, he took over as head of the then Environmental Analytics Group, which was reorganised under his leadership as the Radiochemistry and Inorganic Analytics Group. He undertook further studies in the UK and the USA in the fields of sampling and environmental investigations. Since 1 January 2023, he has been Head of the Nuclear Chemistry Division at the Spiez Laboratory.
Dr. Isabel Hunger-Glaser, Head of the Biology Division
Isabel Hunger-Glaser pursued her undergraduate and doctoral studies in medical microbiology and molecular biology in Bern. She then completed a postgraduate course in experimental medicine and biology at ETH Zurich and held several postdoctoral positions, including at UCLA in Los Angeles. She then worked in the pharmaceutical industry at Berna Biotech. In 2007, she was elected Executive Director of the Federal Expert Committee on Biosafety (SECB). Since 2020, she has headed the Biology Division at Spiez Laboratory. She is actively engaged in various bodies, nationally and internationally, for example on the board of the EBSA (European Biosafety Association), where she also served as president; at the WHO, where she served as an external expert; and at SBNet, where she is a founding member of and has since been appointed as its president. In 2019, she completed a postgraduate “Business Concept” course at the University of Bern and a course in “Negotiation and Leadership” at Harvard Business School.
Dr. César Metzger, Head of the CBRNe Protection Systems Division
César Metzger grew up in Lausanne. He studied biology at the Universities of Colorado (Boulder, USA) and Lausanne, where he obtained a BSc and an MSc in evolutionary biology. He graduated from the University of Basel with a PhD in zoology/evolutionary parasitology. In 2014, he joined Spiez Laboratory as Deputy Head of the National NBC Protection Office. In 2016, he was appointed Head of the Incident Response and Individual Protection Branch. In addition, he became Deputy Chief of the NBC Protection Division (now CBRNe Protection Systems Division). Since 2019, he has held the position of Head of the NBC Coordination Unit. In this function, he coordinated Spiez Laboratory’s cooperation with national and international partner institutions across all CBRNe disciplines. Since 2016, he has also served as Scientific Secretary of the Federal Commission for NBC Protection (ComNBC). In August 2022, he was appointed Head of the CBRNe Protection Systems Division.
Mauro Zanni, Head of the Logistics, Quality and Safety Division
After his apprenticeship as an architectural draughtsman, Mauro Zanni worked in architecture firms in Lausanne and Spiez. During this time, he studied computer science at the technical college in Bern. Subsequently, he worked for the private sector in the areas of software development, training, sales and network technology. In 2006, he joined Spiez Laboratory as Head of the Measurement Technology and Laboratory Informatics Branch. Since 1 June 2008, he has served as the head of the Logistics, Quality and Safety Division and with responsibility for quality management (ISO/IEC 17025). In 2012, he completed a part-time postgraduate degree in management (NDS HF).
Dr. Cédric Invernizzi, Head of the NBC Arms Control Division
Cédric Invernizzi completed his MSc in chemistry in 2000 and his PhD in biochemistry at the University of Bern in 2003. He took up a postdoctoral research position at McGill University in Montréal, Canada in 2004 and conducted research in the field of virology and related areas such as immunology and epidemiology. In 2009, he joined Spiez Laboratory as Head of Arms Control for Biological Weapons. Since then, he has been deeply involved in issues related to arms control in the context of biological weapons and dual use. Since 2020, he has served as the head of the NBC Arms Control Division at Spiez Laboratory.
Dr. Kurt Münger, Head of Planning and Control
Kurt Münger studied history and German language and literature at the University of Bern and the Free University of Berlin, graduating with a licentiate (lic. phil.) and a master’s degree (M.A.), respectively, as well as a teaching qualification for grammar schools from the Canton of Bern. He then pursued a doctoral degree in modern general history at the Free University of Berlin, after which he worked as a communications specialist in the private sector. In 2003, he joined Spiez Laboratory as Head of Information. From 2007, he was Head of Communications at the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP). In 2019, he returned to Spiez Laboratory as Head of Planning and Control.