Dr. Burcu Demiray
Founder & Managing Director

Contact:
b.demiray@psychologie.uzh.ch

I am a lifespan developmental psychologist by training and the founder of WiseLearn. I lead a research group at the Healthy Longevity Center (University of Zurich) and teach at the Department of Psychology (University of Zurich). My research program focuses on cognitive activities (e.g., learning, memory) and psychological well-being across adulthood. I use qualitative and quantitative methods, collect real world evidence (e.g., smartphone sensing, wearables) and use interdisciplinary approaches in data analytics (e.g., machine learning) to understand and promote healthy human development and longevity.

At the Healthy Longevity Center, I have positioned myself at the intersection of research and innovation, with the aim of fostering the translation of psychological research findings into social innovation. I mainly focus on research and innovation development in ed-tech, age-tech and digital health.

I have a Master’s degree in psychology and am currently working on my dissertation. At WiseLearn I am responsible for the technical implementation of the content on the e-learning platform, e.g., creating lecture modules for a new semester and publishing the recordings of lectures. I also take care of member administration and support the users of the platform via e-mail and phone helpline if there are difficulties or questions. In addition, I support our own research projects and evaluate the feedback provided on our offers.

Anja Vandersmissen
Platform Manager

Miriam Wallimann
Researcher &
Content Developer

I studied psychology at the University of Bern and the University of Zurich and specialized in health psychology and gerontopsychology due to my interest in health and well-being across the lifespan. I am currently part of several applied research projects in the research group of Dr. Burcu Demiray, focusing on lifelong learning and ageism. At WiseLearn, I am responsible for the development of e-learning courses and for the management of our co-development community.

Shortly after my final degree as a surveying engineer I taught surveying at a technical college and arithmetic at a vocational school. This was followed by over 30 years in the IT sector in a large company where I was initially responsible for IT training and end-user support. Also in my later functions education was always a central concern for me.

Standing still is not an option. Since my retirement, I have been a member of the Senior Citizens’ University of Zurich, where I attend the always interesting lectures on a wide variety of topics. I am convinced that lifelong learning is crucial to remain mentally fit. I try to make my contribution so that older people can cope with modern technology as well as digitalization, which increasingly permeate our everyday lives.

Remo Pianezzi
Research & Community
Support

Ursula Reber
Content Developer & Project Advisor

I have always been driven by the desire to constantly develop and grow. After my commercial apprenticeship (EFZ), other paths were open to me thanks to the dual education system and I have completed three additional training courses over the course of my career (HF Dipl. in Organization, NDS HF with specialization on Coaching, NDS HF Human Resources Manager). Before my retirement, I worked in human resources for over 20 years. My roles in both large and small organizations were diverse, for example, as seminar leader for social and leadership skills, HR business partner, and head of HR department.

Since retirement, for me, does not mean standing still, and lifelong learning has always been important to me, I now volunteer in various projects related to these topics. I joined WiseLearn because I am convinced that one never stops learning and that cognitive health is essential for healthy aging.

At WiseLearn, I contribute to the design and development of course content for older learners, and I also provide advisory and co-creative input on the subject of ageism (e.g., ageism in the workplace).

I studied psychology at the University of Zurich for my Bachelor’s degree and am currently continuing my studies there for my Master’s degree. Since 2025, I have been working as a research intern in the research group because I am interested in how lifelong learning concepts can be designed and made accessible and optimized online for older people. At WiseLearn, among other tasks, I am involved in developing new e-learning courses and evaluating feedback to improve the content further.

Meera Selvachandran
Intern

Ramona Walker
Intern

I am currently pursuing my master’s in psychology at the University of Zurich. In mid-2025, I had the opportunity to join WiseLearn as an intern. Since then, I have primarily supported the team on a technical level as well as in the further development of learning programs. My main area of interest lies in how digital learning platforms can be designed to be user-friendly, making learning intuitive for all generations. This topic has already fascinated me during my bachelor’s studies, particularly in my minor in People-Oriented Computing.

Lennard Schlör
IT Support

Sepp Annen

Elisabeth Huwyler

Christoph Lögler

Martin Färber

Paul Kühne

Fari Malla

Stephan Fröhlich

Heinz Lienhard

Ursula Reber

Prof. Mike Martin
Professor in Gerontology

Dr. Sandra Oppikofer
Business & Innovation Development

Max-Peter Felchlin
Business Development

Olga Krupinska
Startup Development & Strategy

Employees