top of page
Program 2026
October 26–27, 2026
Kursaal, Bern (Switzerland)
What to expect
This year’s symposium brings together the fundamentals and future prospects of gender medicine with topics such as global health, health policy, clinical guidelines, prevention, men’s health, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. Presentations on the SAGER Guidelines (Sex and Gender Equity in Research) and innovations in medical education round out the program.
Practical how-to sessions, poster presentations, and panels round out the symposium and create space for interdisciplinary exchange.
Monday, October 26, 2026
09:00 | Arrival and Check-in at the Kursaal Bern | ||
10:00 | Welcome and Introduction into Gender Medicine and its fundamental Change of Perspective in Medicine | Prof. Dr. med. Beatrice Beck Schimmer, University of Zurich and Host Michael Rauchenstein | |
10:15 | History of Gender Medicine and a Look Ahead in the Future | Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, Charité Berlin | |
10:45 | Gender Medicine in the light of Global Health and Health Policy 2026 | Prof. Ilona Kickbusch, Geneva Graduate Institute | |
11:15 | Presentation of Posters on current Research in Gender Medicine at Forum (Part I) | ||
12:15 | BREAK: Networking Lunch | Meet the Speakers | ||
13:15 | How to: Build a Women's Heart Health Program | Dr. Noel Bairey Merz MD, Cedars-Sinai, USA | |
13:25 | How to: Start a company for a sex/gender specific health care product | Thao Nguyen, EQUAL CARE | |
13:35 | How to: Implement SABV guidelines for preclinical research | Dr. Ivana Jaric, University of Zurich | |
14:00 | Ten Years of the SAGER Guidelines: Progress, Impact, and Future Needs | Dr. Shirin Heidari, GENDRO | |
14:20 | Sex/gender in Industry Research and Development - The Role of the Pharmaceutical Industry | Dr. med. Katharina M. Gasser, Roche Pharma Switzerland | |
14:45 | The Role of Politics for Equitable Health | to be announced | |
15:15 | BREAK: Networking | Meet the Speakers | Change to your booked Scientific Session | ||
15:45 (1) | Scientific Session 1.1: Men's Health | Dr. med. Ruben Fuentes Artiles, University of Bern | Dr. John Oliffe, University of British Columbia | Dr.
phil. Andreas Walther, University of Graz | |
15:45 (2) | Scientific Session 1.2: Sex and Gender in Clinical Guidelines | P.D Dr. med. Maria Rubini, Nat. Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Madrid | Prof. Mathias Wullum-Nielsen, University of Copenhagen | Prof. Dr. med. Sabine Oertelt-Priogione, Universität Bielefeld
| |
15:45 (3) | Scientific Session 1.3: Policy / Global Health | Prof. Sarah Hawkes, Monash University, Malaysia | Prof. Marc Lerchenmüller, University of
Mannheim | Prof. Anita Raj, Tulane University, USA | |
16:45 | BREAK: Change to your booked Scientific Session | ||
17:00 (1) | Scientific Session 2.1: Education - Innovation in Europe and beyond | Numerous speaker from all over the world. See more information in the following link. | |
17:00 (2) | Scientific Session 2.2: Epidemiology and Prevention | Speaker to be announced | |
17:00 (3) | Scientific Session 2.3: Evolution | Prof. Erica van de Waal, University of Lausanne | Ph.D. Johanna Stärk, Max Planck Institute | Ph.D. Alexandra DeCasien, National Institute of Health | |
18:00 | Networking and Apéro | ||
19:30 | End of Day 1 |
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
08:00 | Arrival and Check-in at the Kursaal Bern | Meet & Greet in the Forum | ||
08:30 | Welcome by Host | Michael Rauchenstein | |
08:40 | Topic to be announced | Speaker to be announced | |
09:10 | Panel Discussion: Update on Gender Medicine in Switzerland | Speakers from five different Swiss Medical Faculties. More information in the following link. | |
09:35 | Presentation of Posters on current Research in Gender Medicine at Forum (Part II) | ||
10:45 | AI & Big Data | Dr. Saniye Gülser Corat, NonBiasAi | |
11:05 | Topic to be announced | Speaker to be announced | |
11:15 | Funding the Future of Gender Medicine: Why Venture Capital Matters | Maryann Selfe, FemmeHealth Alliance | |
11:35 | Poster Award Ceremony | ||
11:55 | Wrap-up and Conclusions | ||
12:00 | Farewell Lunch and Networking | ||
14:00 | End of Swiss Gender Medicine Symposium 2026 |
bottom of page