ETH Domain Human Health Day 2026

Bringing the domain together to imagine human health
ETH Domain Human Health Day

The ETH Domain Human Health Day 2026 was be held on August 20, 2026 at the Rolex Learning Centre at EPFL.

This event brought together leading academics, platform leaders, and senior decision-makers from across the ETH Domain to explore how interdisciplinary collaboration can advance human health research and its translation into clinical practice.


Through focused discussions, the meeting adressed key challenges at the interface of basic and clinical science, with particular emphasis on strengthening collaboration between academia and hospitals. Topics included effective partnership models, perspectives from hospital leadership, and the integration of AI and data-driven approaches in healthcare.

The event provided a platform for exchange, coordination, and strategic discussion within the Swiss health research ecosystem.

280 people joined us in Lausanne to engage with key actors shaping the future of translational health research in Switzerland.

We want to strengthen collaboration within the ETH Domain in Health and engage clinical and public health stakeholders.

Andy Oates, Dean, School of Life Sciences

Program

10:00 – 13:00 | Institutional Strengths and Research Highlights

Welcome 

Prof. Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, EPFL President

Prof. Stéphanie Lacour, EPFL VP for Support to Strategic Initiatives

Molecular Design

Molecular Design in Medicine

Designing molecules for precise medical therapies

Prof. Beat Fierz, EPFL: presentation
Prof. Paola Picotti, ETH Zürich
Prof. G.V. Shivashankar, PSI: presentation 

Cellular Therapies

Cell and Gene Therapy

Engineering cells and genes to treat disease precisely

Prof. Nina Cabezas Wallscheid, ETH Zürich

Prof. Li Tang, EPFL: presentation

AI in Medicine

AI for Medicine and Healthcare

Applying artificial intelligence to advance medical care

Prof. Charlotte Bunne, EPFL 

Prof. Michael Moor, ETH Zürich 

Engineering in Medicine

Engineering in Medicine

Engineering solutions to improve healthcare and treatment

Prof. Michel Calame, EMPA: presentation
Prof. Andrew de Mello, ETH Zürich
Prof. Jean-Philippe Thiran, EPFL: presentation

Neuro Technology

Neurotechnology

Developing technologies to understand and interface brain

Prof. Friedhelm Hummel, EPFL: presentation
Prof. Nicole Wenderoth, ETH Zürich: presentation

Nutrition and Metabolism

Understanding nutrition to regulate metabolism and health

Prof. Giovanni D’Angelo, EPFL: presentation
Prof. Laura Nyström, ETH Zürich 

13:00 – 14:30 | Lunch break and Networking

14:30 – 17:00 | Translation, Integration and Policy Dialogue

Round table – confirmed speakers hospitals

Dr. Karim Boubaker – CEO, Unisanté, Lausanne

Prof. Jean-Pierre Bourquin – Head of Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Zürich

Prof. Heinz Läubli – Head of the University Center for Cell Therapies and Immunomodulation, University Hospital Basel

Robert Mardini – CEO, HUG, Geneva

Prof. Michael Müller – Co-Director of the Clinics, Inselspital Bern

Jean Stoefs – COO, CHUV, Lausanne

Keynote 

Prof. Daniel Truhn, RWTH Aachen: Agents at the Bedside – from Tools to Teammates 

Round table – confirmed speakers regulatory, industry, hospital, VC

Dr. Carolina Aguilar – CEO & Co-Founder, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, Tolochenaz

Prof. Gaudenz Danuser – Co-Director Computational Biology, Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche, Basel

Dr. Philippe Girard – Deputy Executive Director and Head of Medicinal Product Licences and Surveillance, Swissmedic, Bern

Dr. Hicham Majd – Global Device and Packaging Development Lead, Novartis, Basel

Nigel Sheail – Partner, Versant Ventures, Basel

Prof. Mauro Oddo – Director of Innovation and Clinical Research, CHUV, Lausanne

Organizing Committee

EPFL

Prof. Stéphanie Lacour

Prof. Andrew Oates

Prof. Nicolas Thomä

Eva Schier

Mira Schütz

Margot Zbinden

ETH Zürich

Dr. Cornelia Schauz

Prof. Jörg Goldhahn

Dr. Téa Kekelidze

ETH Domain Human Health Day