Sandra Ulrich, PhD

Work at ZHAW

Position

Researcher

Focus

Wellbeing, chatbot coaching, health apps, health behavior, prevention, resilience

Teaching

• AI in Psychology
• Research Methods (F21-1)
• Research Methods (F2-1)
• Health coaching (A11-4)
• Designing a digital intervention (DIG2-1)
• Health behavior skills: health apps (GP1-1)

Education and Continuing education

Education

• PhD / Medical Sciences
  Care and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zurich
  02 / 2020 - 06 / 2024
• Master of Science / Psychology
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  09 / 2010 - 11 / 2018

Continuing Education

Certificate in Good Clinical Practice
Clinical Trials Center CTC, University Hospital Zurich
08 / 2020

Network

Membership of networks

ZHAW Digital Health Lab

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0008-5828

Projects

• Resource Activation for Teachers' Well-being / Project leader / ongoing
• User-centered design of a resource-based selfmanagement app / Project leader / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Ulrich, S., Künzli, H., Zuber, V., Kowatsch, T., & Gantenbein, A. R. (2025). Maintained effectiveness of a smartphone-based chatbot coach (BalanceUP) for mental well-being in headache sufferers : preliminary findings from a single-arm 6-month follow-up study. mHealth, 11(49). https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-25-9
• Ulrich, S., Lienhard, N., Künzli, H., & Kowatsch, T. (2024). A chatbot-delivered stress management coaching for students (MISHA app) : pilot randomized controlled trial. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 12, e54945. https://doi.org/10.2196/54945
• Ulrich, S., Gantenbein, A. R., Zuber, V., von Wyl, A., Kowatsch, T., & Künzli, H. (2024). Development and evaluation of a smartphone-based chatbot coach to facilitate a balanced lifestyle in individuals with headaches (BalanceUP App) : randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e50132. https://doi.org/10.2196/50132
• Ollier, J., Neff, S., Dworschak, C., Sejdiji, A., Santhanam, P., Keller, R., Xiao, G., Asisof, A., Rüegger, D., Bérubé, C., Hilfiker Tomas, L., Neff, J., Yao, J., Alattas, A., Varela-Mato, V., Pitkethly, A., Vara, M. D., Herrero, R., Baños, R. M., et al. (2021). Elena+ care for COVID-19, a pandemic lifestyle care intervention : intervention design and study protocol. Frontiers in Public Health, 9(625640). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.625640
• Hauser-Ulrich, S., Künzli, H., Meier-Peterhans, D., & Kowatsch, T. (2020). A smartphone-based health care chatbot to promote self-management of chronic pain (SELMA) : pilot randomized controlled trial. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(4), e15806. https://doi.org/10.2196/15806

Other publications

• Ulrich, S. (2022). Kopfschmerz-Coaching per App. Migräne Magazin, 2(96), 16.
• Hauser-Ulrich, S., Lienhard, N., Burtscher, M. J., Gantenbein, A., Kowatsch, T., & Künzli, H. (2020, October). Text-based healthcare chatbot coaching to reduce stress of people suffering from chronic pain and migraine. 2. Digital Health Lab Day, Online, 1. October 2020. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-22237
• Ulrich, S. (2019). Chronische Schmerzen dank App bessern : Ergebnisse zum Schweizer Projekt SELMA. Migräne Magazin, 85, 17.
• Ulrich, S. (2018). Per App besser mit chronischen Schmerzen umgehen. Migräne Magazin, 80, 18.

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• Ulrich, S. (2026, January 22). REACT : eine smartphone-basierte Intervention zur Ressourcenaktivierung bei Lehrpersonen. NPG Vernetzungsanlass, Bern, Schweiz, 22. Januar 2026.
• Ulrich, S. (2025, September 4). Digitale Gesundheitsinterventionen per Chatbot : die Smartphone-Apps SELMA und BalanceUP. HPR Symposium, Interlaken, Schweiz, 4. September 2025.
• Ulrich, S. (2025, August 20). Keynote on the evaluation of PDTx. UMZH Precision Digital Therapeutics Summer School, Zurich, Switzerland, 18-22 August 2025.
• Ulrich, S. (2025, May 15). Digitale Medien und Schmerz. St.Galler Schmerzsymposium «Prävention chronischer Schmerzen – neu gedacht», St.Gallen, Schweiz, 15. Mai 2025.
• Ulrich, S., & Burtscher, M. J. (2024, March 28). Chatbot-Coaching zur Ressourcenförderung bei Lehrpersonen. Brown Bag Seminar, PH Luzern, Schweiz, 28. März 2024.
• Kamm, K., Klan, T., & Ulrich, S. (2023, October). Neue Horizonte der Migränebehandlung : Patientenorientierte Versorgung – Kogniphobie – Chatbot-Coaching. Deutscher Schmerzkongress, Mannheim, Deutschland, 18.-21. Oktober 2023.
• Ulrich, S. (2023, June 15). Balance Up : digitale Medien in der Optimierung der Lifestyle-Faktoren. Kopfschmerz Symposium, Bern, Schweiz, 15. Juni 2023.
• Hauser-Ulrich, S., & Künzli, H. (2021, November). Chatbots im Coaching. 6. Internationaler Coachingkongress 2021 «Coaching meets Research», online, 18.-19. November 2021.
• Hauser-Ulrich, S. (2021, May 6). SELMA pain-self-management in the context of rheumatology. 3rd Digital Rheumatology Day, Lausanne, 6 May 2021.

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