Health and medicine
ETH Zurich uses its wide range of skills to make a significant contribution to the continued development of medical research and training and the promotion of the transfer of new findings into medical practice.
The aging society in the industrialized nations requires technological solutions for prevention, diagnostics, therapy and rehabilitation that are affordable and sustainable across generations. Novel approaches to medicine are being developed with the help of data science and digitization, as well as new technologies from engineering and the life sciences. We understand health not only as the result of medical procedures, but also as the result of external influences such as nutrition, environmental pollution and personal lifestyle.
About a third of ETH Zurich’s professors in nine different departments are directly or indirectly involved in medical research, from natural scientists to engineers. Their main activities include medically relevant fundamental research, diagnostics, medical technologies, pharmaka and the development of bioactive substances. Computer scientists, who use data analysis and machine learning to drive the field of personalised medicine, also have an increasingly important role.
The close collaboration with clinics and the novel platforms for clinical research improve the translation of new research results into medically relevant applications. Through the instatement of new professorships, which develop and lead new types of clinical studies, cutting-edge research is promoted.
Building on the engagement of already running national initiatives such as the «external page Swiss Personalized Health Network» and the strategic initiative «external page Personalized Health and Related Technologies» of the ETH domain, we strengthen our commitment to the Swiss healthcare system, and continue investing into the collaboration with Universities, clinics and industry to foster translation into the clinic (e.g. "Tumor Profiler").
To meet the rapid developments in medicine, the Bachelor’s in Medicine has been introduced at ETH in autumn 2017 and together with the collaborating universities is made permanent in the current phase. Additionally a MAS in Digital Clinical Research and the MedLab Fellowship set the ideal basis for doctors to widen their research knowledge and getting familiar with ETH as an institution.
Partnerships and initiatives
external page Botnar Research Centre for Child Health – consisting of a collaboration between ETH and the University of Basel, funded by the Fondation Botnar - is dedicated to pediatric research and health challenges in developing countries.
external page ETH@KSB - Kantonsspital Baden and ETH Zurich cooperate in medical teaching as well as in clinical and experimental research.
ETHeart / ZurichHeart - interdisciplinary flagship project of the Hochschulmedizin Zürich. The aim of the project is to develop a fully implantable artificial heart.
external page Hochschulmedizin Zürich – Cooperation with UZH and university hospitals.
external page National Data Streams - NDS, launched by PHRT and SPHN, are multidisciplinary, consortial research infrastructures in which a national network of clinical and scientific/technical partners collaborate.
external page PHRT - Personalized Health and Related Technologies is a strategic focus of the ETH Domain, comprising the research institutions ETHZ, EPFL, PSI, EMPA, Eawag and WSL.
SEC Future Health Technologies - Singapore-ETH Centre's Future Health Technologies (FHT) is developing a mobile health technology approach that leverages scalable digital technologies to transform the healthcare system towards a community-based and patient-centered model along the entire care chain.
external page SKINTEGRITY – an ETH+ initiative, brings together researchers from ETH, the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich, around the topics of skin defects and serious skin diseases.
external page SPHN - The Swiss Personalized Health Network is a national initiative led by the Schweizerische Akademie für Medizinische Wissenschaften (SAMS).
external page The LOOP Zurich – Cooperation of ETH Zurich with the University of Zurich and the university hospitals to promote translational research and precision medicine.
external page Tumor Profiler Center - The Tumor Profiler Study is an observational clinical trial that combines a prospective diagnostic approach to evaluate the relevance of detailed tumor profiling to support clinical decision-making with an exploratory approach to improve biological understanding of disease.
external page UMZH - The Universitäre Medizin Zürich unites the Zurich universities and university hospitals: University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Balgrist University Hospital and Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich.
external page Wyss Zurich – Collaboration between ETH and UZH for the translation of results from basic research into application in the health sector, funded by the Wyss Foundation.
Competence Centers and NCCRs
external page NCCR Microbiomes – a national focus area, with the goal to unravel the interaction of microorganisms within varying systems (human, animal, plants and environment).
external page NCCR RNA&Disease - a national focus area aimed at consolidating and strengthening Switzerland's position in RNA biology through a coordinated, interdisciplinary research program.
RESC - The Competence Center Rehabilitation Engineering and Science Center of Excellence promotes the establishment of a holistic approach to rehabilitation to better meet the needs of people with physical disabilities.
external page Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften Zürich - The ZNZ is a joint competence center of ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich that creates synergies between 1000 neuroscientists in research and teaching. The network includes research groups from UZH, ETH and the university hospitals and clinics in Zurich.
Continuing Education
MAS digital Clinical Research - the MAS digital Clinical Research provides all components for successful clinical research to improve patient care with a special focus on digital technology.
MedLab Fellowship - the ETH Zurich MedLab Fellowship programme (MedLab Fellows) supports incoming medical doctors at ETH Zurich.
Technology Platforms
dTIP - dTIP is an ETH technology platform created to support researchers in clinical evidence generation and support entrepreneurs with the regulatory aspects of product development.
external page FGCZ - The Functional Genomics Center Zurich is a joint state-of-the-art research and training facility of the ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich.
GMP Facility - The GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Facility is an ETH technology platform shared with University of Basel and University Hospital Basel.
NEXUS - NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies ist eine Technologieplattform der ETH Zürich, die die Durchführung von translationalen Forschungsprojekten im Bereich personalisierte Gesundheit ermöglicht. NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies is an ETH Technology Platform created to enable and accelerate the execution of translational research projects in the area of personalized health research.
News on medicine
“Exercise and social interaction are key stress relievers”
Neuroscientist Johannes Bohacek investigates the molecular basis of stress in the brain. He originally wanted to become a psychotherapist.
Delivering medicines with microscopic flowers
These small particles are reminiscent of paper flowers or desert roses. Physicians can use them to guide medicines to a precise destination within the body. Better yet, the particles can easily be tracked using ultrasound as they scatter sound waves.
CRISPR-Cas technology: balancing efficiency and safety
ETH Zurich researchers have uncovered a serious side effect of using the CRISPR-Cas gene scissors. A molecule designed to make the process more efficient destroys parts of the genome.