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Swissinfo: Switzerland Charts New Course on Gender Medicine
Switzerland is charting a new course in gender medicine despite challenges in funding and politics. The first Swiss Gender Medicine Symposium in Bern brought together 280 experts and send a strong signal for inclusive medicine. With initiatives like the Swiss Society for Gender Health and new national programs, the field is gaining momentum toward more equitable healthcare.
Swiss Gender Medicine Symposium 2025 in Bern 25.10.2025
On October 20–21, 2025, Bern hosted the first Swiss Gender Medicine Symposium – a landmark event that not only showcased cutting-edge research, innovative approaches, and forward-looking projects, but also drove interdisciplinary collaboration. The symposium brought together 280 experts and stakeholders to raise awareness of gender-specific gaps in research, diagnostics, and treatment, fostering dialogue and shaping strategies to advance gender-sensitive healthcare.
Carolin's Digital Portrait on SRF News
The Chair for Gender Medicine focuses on three core areas: research, clinical care, and teaching. In this SRF News feature, the latter two take center stage as Carolin is followed to her lecture and her consultation hour, offering an inside look at how gender medicine is integrated into education and patient care.
Meet the People Behind Gender Medicine
In our "Meet the Team" video series, we introduce the dedicated researchers and professionals behind the Chair for Gender Medicine at the University of Zurich. Each team member shares their personal journey into the field, their current role, and what drives their passion for gender-sensitive research in medicine.
UZH Medical Curriculum - 2025 Fall Semester Lectures
In “Introduction to Gender Medicine”, first-year students are introduced to the fundamentals of gender medicine, while third-year students dive deeper into the principles of diagnostics and therapy through “Gender-Sensitive Pharmacology”. As they near the end of their studies, fifth-year students are taught about clinical decision-making in an interactive manner. These lectures exemplify the Chair for Gender Medicine’s commitment to integrating perspectives on sex and gender into medical education.
New on YouTube: Clear Explanations in Gender Medicine
Imagine understanding gender medicine in just a few minutes. In three short videos (more to follow!), we break down complex topics with clarity and impact. Each episode is available with English subtitles, helping a global audience understand how gender influences diagnosis, therapy, and health outcomes. These videos go beyond education – they’re a step toward truly inclusive medicine.
UZH News: Interview with Carolin
In this UZH News interview, Carolin shares how gender medicine connects disciplines – from basic research and clinical care to public health and behavioral sciences. She highlights the Swiss Gender Medicine Symposium as a vital platform for experts and key stakeholders to exchange knowledge, collaborate across sectors, and shape a shared agenda for advancing the field.
Subscribe to Gender Medicine: Our New YouTube Channel Is Live!
We’re excited to launch our official YouTube channel! Join us as we explore how sex and gender shape health, disease, and therapy. From groundbreaking research to clinical insights and education, our videos bring gender medicine to life and to your screen – clear, accessible, and fact-based. Subscribe now and become part of the conversation!
Webinar: Heart Failure in Women – The HFpEF Pandemic
On 2 October 2025, the Zurich Heart House hosted a webinar focusing on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in women. Prof. Carolin Lerchenmüller co-moderated the event alongside Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher, guiding discussions with leading international experts on gender differences in heart failure diagnosis and treatment.
Gender Medicine at the University of Zurich: The Long Road to Institutionalization
For years, the University of Zurich has been working for years to systematically embed gender medicine in research, teaching, and healthcare. At this event of the UZH Alumni Women’s Chapter, Prof. Beatrice Beck Schimmer, Prof. Carolin Lerchenmüller, and Agnes Nienhaus presented the progress that has been made so far. This developement includes the establishment of a dedicated chair, the formation of a specialised commission, collaborations with other Swiss universities, and the launch of the annual Swiss Gender Medicine Symposium, which will debut in 2025.
Podcast Rock & Randale: The Invisible Patient
In a recent episode of “Rock & Randale”, Carolin explores why medications are often incorrectly dosed for women, why women's hearts beat – and stop beating – differently, and why men are more likely to die from depression. Furthermore, they discuss why considering gender in medicine isn’t about being “woke,” but about evidence-based medicine.
Carolin at the DGK Heart Days 2025 in Hamburg
How realistic is a true work-life balance for cardiologists? At the DGK Heart Days 2025 in Hamburg, Carolin tackled this pressing question in her talk “Compatibility of Job and Private Life: How Realistic Is Work-Life Balance?”. During the session “From Dawn till Dusk: Challenges in the Life of Young and Old Cardiologists”, she sparked lively reflection and discussion on how cardiologists can balance demanding careers with personal lives.
Congratulations on Earning the Dr. med.!
We warmly congratulate Philipp Schlegel on successfully defending his doctoral thesis and earning his Dr. med. degree from the Medical Faculty Heidelberg. We are proud of Philipp’s achievement as a member of the Lerchenmüller lab, and look forward to his next steps in research and medicine.
11th Congress of the International Society of Gender Medicine in Magdeburg
Researchers and clinicians from around the world gathered in Magdeburg, Germany, for two days of inspiring knowledge exchange and networking. Carolin chaired a panel discussion titled 'Sex and gender differences in diseases across disciplines'. The aim of the collaboration is to shape the future of equitable healthcare in the field of sex- and gender-sensitive medicine.
Jeanne Moor Received the Young Talent Award in Magdeburg
Dr. med. Jeanne Moor is a valued and close collaborator at the Chair for Gender Medicine. Today, the International Society of Gender Medicine recognised her work in the field of gender health and her commitment to equitable healthcare by presenting her with the Young Talent Award. Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement, Jeanne!
Interview With Carolin on Gender Medicine and the ESC Gender Task Force
During the annual Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, Carolin was interviewed by Dr. med. Victoria Johnson, about her professorship, her journey into gender medicine, and her work with the ESC Gender Task Force.
UZH Students Gain Hands-on Cardiac Science Experience
Over the next three weeks, our laboratory will be hosting two groups of students as part of the University of Zurich's biomedical module “Cardiac and Vascular Pathophysiology”. The students will gain insight into basic biochemical methods, our experimental work and the background of some of our research projects. Giulia, Fynn and Juening are looking forward to teaching the next generation of scientists.
Kick-off Event for the Swiss Society for Gender Health Event in Bern
At the inaugural event of the Swiss Society for Gender Health (SSGH) in Bern, Carolin participated in a podium discussion alongside other experts such as Prof. Dr. med. Ute Seeland, Dr. Peter Wolfensberger and Dr. med. Bettina Balmer. The discussion focused on integrating sex and gender considerations into medical education and healthcare delivery.
Welcoming Juening Kang as Our New Team Member
We are pleased to introduce Juening Kang, who joined our team in September as a research technician. He will support the basic science projects of the Chair for Gender Medicine by helping with data collection, research coordination and laboratory management. We are thrilled to welcome Juening to the team, where he will contribute valuable knowledge and a fresh perspective.
Poster Presentation at ESC Congress 2025 in Madrid
Our group leader Giulia presented her poster about "Extracellular vesicle-mediated inflammatory reprogramming of macrophages in a diabetic hyperglycemic environment" at the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology. Her work – using an environment mimicking diabetic conditions – demonstrates that hyperglycemic endothelial cell vesicles prime macrophages toward inflammatory activation. Macrophages then increase cytokine release suggesting that the chronic inflammatory state observable in diabetic patients could also be modulated by endothelial cells paracrine signals.
#UMZH Precision Digital Therapeutics Summer School
Hosted by the Centre for Digital Health Interventions, the "1st Precision Digital Therapeutics Summer School" brought together interdisciplinary participants for five days to address urgent challenges in the Swiss healthcare system by designing digital solutions. The Chair for Gender Medicine provided insights into real-world clinical applications, resulting in a prototype and framework to address challenges in blood pressure management and adverse event documentation in women. We look forward to future developments.
Our Latest Publication in Nature Medicine
Do we research diseases in proportion to the harm they cause? Our team was part of a truly multidisciplinary team including economics, business, public health, public policy, and medicine, that worked to get closer to answering this important question. Check out our new study titled “Global distribution of research efforts, disease burden, and impact of US public funding withdrawal” in Nature Medicine.
Academy of Management Annual Meeting
At the 2025 Annual Meeting in Copenhagen, Carolin delivered an insightful invited talk on the impact of diversity in research and innovation from the medical perspective. Her presentation ‚Biased evidence – The double burden of Gender in Medicine’ resonated strongly with the audience, as reflected in the very positive feedback from the organizers and attendees.
The 1st Team Workshop of the Chair
We gathered in Heidelberg, Germany for our first team workshop; to define shared values, chart future goals, and collaborate on strategies to achieve them. Beyond the workshop, we enjoyed exploring Heidelberg’s charming old town and having dinner on the Neckar river. The city’s inspiring atmosphere provided the perfect backdrop for our discussions and developments.
Talk at the Ruhr-University Bochum Symposium
At the international symposium “Personalized Medicine in the Cardiometabolic Spectrum: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Targets” at Ruhr-University Bochum, Carolin delivered a talk about sex- and gender-aspect in cardiovascular health contributing to the dialogue on advancing personalized medicine in cardiometabolic health.
Sharing Research at the UZH Foundation’s “Giving Back” Annual Event
As part of the UZH Foundation’s flagship event Giving Back, Carolin joined the speaker lineup to share insights into gender medicine. The annual gathering offers the public a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research and meet the people behind it. Guests are invited to listen to inspiring talks, ask their most pressing questions, and experience science up close.
Carolin’s presentation focused on the fundamentals and significance of gender medicine—with a special emphasis on the example of heart attacks and concrete recommendations for prevention.
Speaking at PwC’s Pharma Women’s Network
Carolin was invited to speak at the newly launched Pharma Women’s Network event series by PwC, which highlights women in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries and aims to encourage meaningful exchange and networking.
In her talk, she emphasized the importance of sex- and gender-sensitive medicine, focusing in particular on cardiovascular disease in women. Carolin highlighted the biological factors affecting women’s heart health across different life stages and underscored the urgent need for targeted research and cross-sector collaboration to better understand and address these unique risks.
Chair for Gender Medicine Represented at SSC Annual Meeting with First Abstract Presentation
The Chair for Gender Medicine was represented for the first time at the Annual Meeting of the Swiss Society of Cardiology (SSC) with both a workshop contribution and a scientific abstract. Carolin participated in the session “Women in Front of and Behind the Stethoscope”, where she addressed the current state and future perspectives of female patients and physicians in cardiology. Our colleague Maximilian presented the Chair’s first abstract: "A systematic analysis of women participation and gender-sensitive reporting in cardiovascular trials between 2017-2024".
Keynote at the Life Science Zurich Impact Conference
The focus of the Life Science Zurich Impact Conference was precision medicine and ai innovation. Carolin contributed with a keynote on “The role of artificial intelligence for precision sex- and gender medicine".
Presentation "From Cardioprotection to Gender Medicine"
Carolin has been invited as a speaker by Dr. Johnny Kim, the cluster spokesperson of curATime and representative of TRON gGmbH, to take part in a seminar series in Mainz as part of the curATime Cluster for Future.
One Year of Gender Medicine at UZH – SRF Radio Interview
For one year now, cardiologist Prof. Dr. Carolin Lerchenmüller has been leading the newly established Chair for Gender Medicine at the University of Zurich – the first of its kind in Switzerland. In this SRF radio interview, she talks about the importance of gender-sensitive medicine, the growing interest among students, and the potential for more individualized patient care.
Chair at the 1st Masterclass Cardiovascular Prevention
As part of the two-day 1st Masterclass Cardiovascular Prevention, Prof. Dr. Carolin Lerchenmüller served as chair of one of the scientific sessions. Together with renowned national and international experts, current developments and strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases were discussed in an interdisciplinary setting.
Podcast "Meyer trifft Mediziner:in"
Carolin Lerchenmüller would prefer a different term for what she does: approaching medicine from a perspective that takes gender differences into account. What follows is an engaging conversation about biases and progress.
Keynote at Future Health Basel
Carolin delivered a keynote on “The Importance of Sex and Gender Differences in Medicine,” emphasizing the need to give greater consideration to gender-specific aspects in research, education, and clinical practice.
Keynote at the Digital Health Innovation Forum
Carolin opened the panel "The Future of Women’s Health" at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam with a keynote speech on the importance of gender medicine in research and clinical practice.
Female Shift Newsletter March
In the latest edition of the Female Shift newsletter, our Gender Medicine team and the key focus of our activities are presented.
Article in Bunte Magazine about Gender Medicine
Carolin was interviewed for an article in Bunte Gendermedizin about Gender Medicine. The focus of the article is on how medical treatments that once primarily considered men as the standard are now evolving.
Inaugural Lecture UZH
On March 15th, Carolin delivered at UZH her inaugural lecture titled "From Basic Science to Global Health – Why do we need Gender Medicine?". She highlighted the critical role of gender-specific research in advancing medical science and improving healthcare for all.
Keynote at the Advance International Women's Day 2025
Carolin was a keynote speaker at the Advance event, delivering an insightful talk titled "Equity in Health Care: Why Gender Medicine Matters."
Talk at the 64. Ärztekongress 2025 in Davos
As a speaker at the 2025 Medical Congress in Davos, Carolin provided valuable insights into gender medicine and highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue.
Kardio Beat Podcast
How important is mentoring in medicine, especially in cardiology? What role does it play in career development, and how can one find the right mentor? In the 22nd episode of KardioBeat, Prof. Dr. David Duncker talks with Prof. Dr. Carolin Lerchenmüller about her experiences and insights in the field of mentoring.
European Society of Cardiology – Task Force ‘Gender’
Carolin became an invited member of the Gender Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology dedicated to tackling gender equity across the whole spectrum from patients to health care workforce.
Spectra Interview
“Gender medicine is not just a matter of equal opportunities, but a necessity.” Carolin Lerchenmüller explains why it is necessary to consider the composition of the leadership team, and why there is a sense of new beginnings in Switzerland.
Gender Medicine Talk at UZH Welcome Day
Gender medicine specialist Carolin Lerchenmüller delivered an engaging talk on “Why is Gender Medicine Needed?” at the UZH Welcome Day, where over 150 new employees were welcomed and introduced to the university
Talk at LS2 Meeting Bern
Carolin was invited to speak about the protective effects of exercise on the heart. This conference marked the first event our young team attended together, making it a significant milestone for the Chair.
World Economic Forum Video
Despite living longer than men, women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health. Health burdens have a heavy impact on women’s lives, with ripple effects for broader society.
Tages Anzeiger Das Magazin Article
"What is a big myth about the female body?" – "That it is a small man." The first professor of gender medicine in Switzerland explains what the bikini syndrome is, why women change their behavior when visiting the doctor, and where men receive incorrect treatment.
2024 Lecture UZH Medical Curriculum
1st year Medical Students: Introduction and Basics of Gendermedicine
4th year Medical Students: Clinical Relevance of Sex- and Gender-Aspects in Medicine
Gendermed Symposium Heidelberg
Bridging Disciplines – Advancing Sex and Gender-Related Research within Biomedicine: Carolin delivered a talk on the importance of Gender Medicine from both a national and international perspective.
Interview “Success in Cardiology”
Carolin Lerchenmüller is the Professor of Gender Medicine in Zurich. She is also a founding member of the Women in Cardiology group of the German Cardiac Society. In this interview, she talks about her career path and the challenges she faced as a woman in academic medicine.
Science on Friday
Carolin Lerchenmüller talked about Gender Equity as the Basis for Excellence in Health Care in this DZHK Science of Friday Series dedicated to Sex and Gender in Cardiovascular Disease.
Ringvolesung RUB
Carolin was invited to give a talk for the lecture series Diversity Medicine at the Ruhr Uni Bochum.
Medical Women Switzerland
Carolin participated in the Networking Event of Medical Women Switzerland to talk about the need for Gender-sensitive Medicine.
Charité Berlin Symposium: Women in Heart Failure - Heart Failure in Women
Carolin discussed the need for Gender Medicine, using heart failure as a case study.
CTEC Webinar: From Cardioprotection to Gender Medicine
Carolin was invited as a speaker to one of CTEC's webinars.
Top 100 Women In Business Nomination
Carolin has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Business and as one of four UZH professors to receive this honor. The Women in Business jury has selected women “who, in our view, reflect the broad and impressive spectrum of high-achieving professionals in Switzerland.
Der Beobachter Article
Women's hearts beat differently - Heart diseases often present differently in women than in men. This makes diagnosis more difficult, but not impossible.
Medical Women Switzerland Event
Professor Lerchenmüller's goal is to integrate gender medicine as a cross-disciplinary subject into every medical specialization, especially since half of the population consists of women, who are still rarely included in clinical studies.
Women in Cardiology
Caroline was invited to give a talk on Gender Equity in the Cardiovascular Research and Clinical Workforce
Swissinfo Interview
Switzerland now has a Professor of Gender Medicine and she’s here to stay. Carolin Lerchenmüller says it will take time to fully understand how and why women react differently to some diseases and treatments - but adds that that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Forum for Sex and Gender in Medicine
Carolin gave the concluding remarks at the Forum for Sex and Gender in Medicine hosted by Universität Luzern and participated at the foundation for the Swiss Society for Gender Health.
This event celebrated the conclusion of the swissuniversities project, which focused on integrating gender medicine into medical and health curricula.
European Society of Cardiology Congress 2024
Carolin attended the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in London and gave an invited talk about the protective power of exercise on cardiovascular health.
Keynote Speech at HSG
Prof. Dr. med. Carolin Lerchenmüller provided the participants of the Aiming Higher – Career Development for Female Resident Doctors program at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) with valuable insights into gender medicine and equal opportunities.
Opening Talk at The Swiss Society for Public Health Conference
Carolin Lerchenmüller opened the conference "Gender Medicine and Public Health: A Plus for Overall Health" yesterday. The conference focused on the reciprocal influence of biological and sociocultural aspects in the medical context, explored biological and gender-specific differences, and examined measures to fully harness the potential of gender medicine.
Talk at the Experimental Rheumatology USZ
The topic of the talk was "From Cardioprotection to Gender Medicine".
Universimed Interview
Everyone Has the Right to Equally Good Treatment - In May of this year, Carolin Lerchenmüller took over the first Chair for Gender Medicine in Switzerland. In an interview with Leading Opinions Wochenbulletin, the cardiologist shares her plans for the future.
SRF Radio Interview
The cardiologist Carolin Lerchenmüller is the first professor of gender medicine in Switzerland. She criticizes: For decades, medicine has been a science by men, about men, for men. Gender medicine aims to change that—and in doing so, saves lives.
Talk im Turm: Why Gender Medicine Benefits Everyone
Cardiologist Carolin Lerchenmüller is the first professor of gender medicine in Switzerland. In the Talk im Turm, she discussed gender medicine and its importance with Beatrice Beck Schimmer, Director of University Medicine Zurich (UMZH).
Women's Health: Understand, Strengthen, Promote
Despite significant advances in medicine and healthcare, gender differences in medical care remain a reality that we cannot ignore. This is particularly evident in women's health, where, despite a longer life expectancy, overall health outcomes are often poorer.
UZH: Switzerland's Inaugural Professorial Chair in Gender Medicine
UZH has taken a step towards understanding and addressing the unique health needs of both women and men with the establishment of Switzerland's inaugural professorial chair in gender medicine. This initiative aims to rectify the historical lack of research attention given to sex- and gender-specific causes and symptoms of illnesses.
UZH Foundation: Advancing Gender Medicine with a new Professorship
Women and men experience illness differently. Gender medicine aims to better understand these differences and integrate the findings into patient care and medical education. In May 2024, Carolin Lerchenmüller assumed the position as Switzerland’s first professor of gender medicine.
UZH Magazine: The Right Medicine for Women and Men
Many illnesses have sex- and gender-specific causes and symptoms, many of which have received little research attention thus far. That, however, is about to change. UZH has established the first professorial chair in gender medicine in Switzerland to advance research in this field.
NZZ Article
First Professor of Gender Medicine in Switzerland: "Male scientists have focused on topics that affected men". In an interview, Carolin Lerchenmüller criticizes the lack of awareness in many areas of medicine regarding how significant the differences between male and female bodies can be.
Female Shift: Gender Medicine Event at Swiss Re Campus
The latest advancements in the Gender Medicine project include the approval of the National Research Program for Gender Medicine and Health, as well as the establishment of the first Chair for Gender Medicine at the University of Zurich (UZH), led by Prof. Dr. Carolin Lerchenmüller starting in May 2024.
GEO Article
An international team at the University Hospital Heidelberg investigated whether the heart can be rejuvenated through an exercise program – and discovered that the heart is far more capable of regenerating than previously thought. Physician Carolin Lerchenmüller explains what everyone can do for heart health.
Forschung & Lehre: Gender Publication Gap 2020 Widened
Before the pandemic, both genders were almost equally likely to be first authors of studies in Covid-relevant areas. Then, the gap widened. Physician Carolin Lerchenmüller explains why our hearts are more adaptable than we thought – and how we can use this for our health.
Spiegel Wissenschaft Article
The Amazing Ability of the Heart to Rejuvenate Itself: Physician Carolin Lerchenmüller explains why our hearts are more adaptable than we thought – and how we can use this for our health.
SRF News: Women and the Nobel Prize
In its 120-year history, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to women exactly 59 times. Physician Carolin Lerchenmüller explains why this is the case and what needs to be done to ensure that women receive more recognition in research in the future.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Article
Overall, women do not seem to suffer more from the pandemic than men – except when they are well-educated and, for example, work in science.
The Harvard Gazette: Exercise May Help Make Heart Younger
Active mice make more than four times as many new heart muscle cells, study says.