ETH hosts its first medical research networking event

Medicine has recently gained further importance in education, research and knowledge transfer at ETH Zurich: various technological breakthroughs and shared research questions have created numerous new links between the natural sciences, engineering, materials science, data science and biomedicine, to which ETH researchers are actively contributing. New developments in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, imaging, drug research and molecular biology are laying the foundation for more individualised, personalised approaches in diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation. Accordingly, a third of professors from almost all departments are now directly or indirectly involved in medical research.

Their activities include fundamental research and the development of new materials, innovative medical technologies, additional pharmaceuticals and other bioactive substances, as well as novel diagnostic approaches, for example using AI-based algorithms.

In addition to the long-standing cooperation networks with the university hospitals in Zurich and Basel, cooperation has recently been expanded in a targeted manner and includes, for example, new collaborations with the Charité in Berlin, the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital and intensified cooperation with the Baden Cantonal Hospital and the public EOC hospitals in Ticino ("Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale").

How is ETH positioned in medicine?

Medical research at ETH Zurich is characterised by its integration into the specialist expertise of the respective departments. This leads to highly innovative and often unconventional solutions. The first Medicine @ETH Day at the beginning of September will address, among other things, the extent to which exchange across departmental boundaries and cooperation with clinics can be intensified.

The focus is on questions such as: What strategy is ETH Zurich pursuing in medical research? Why does ETH research need to contribute to meeting future challenges in medicine both nationally and internationally, and how can medical research and the healthcare system benefit from existing expertise? What opportunities and obstacles do researchers and their partners face?

"The Medicine @ETH Day supports the networking of researchers interested in medical issues and facilitates new contacts between research groups and clinical practice," says Christian Wolfrum, ETH Vice President for Research. Ten ETH departments will present their focus in medicine on this day, giving participating researchers and other professionals the opportunity to share new ideas, approaches and expertise. "The aim is not only to identify potential opportunities for cooperation, but also to increase the visibility of medical research at ETH Zurich in general," says Christian Wolfrum.

Jörg Goldhahn, co-organiser of the event, adds: "The Medicine @ETH Day is a networking event with the long-term goal of improving the translation of new research findings into medical applications." So far, 250 people from ETH professorships, Central Administrative Units, ETH research initiatives, ETH spin-offs, partner hospitals and industry have already registered for the event.