Symposium

When Space Science Meets Medicine: New Opportunities for Research and Education

Wednesday, 2025/10/22, 08:30


As humanity prepares for exploration beyond low Earth orbit, clear parallels emerge with the challenges of an ageing society: sustaining physical and cognitive function, and delivering health support in remote, resource-limited settings. This interfaculty symposium brings space science and medicine together to exchange expertise, explore collaborations, and discuss educational pathways that could carry innovations seamlessly from orbit to patients' home—and back again.

Event organizer: Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern / Center for Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine, Inselspital
Speaker: Various
Date: 2025/10/22
Time: 08:30 - 12:30
Locality: Auditorium Felix Frey
sitem-insel
Freiburgstrasse 3
3010 Bern
Registration: Register here!
Characteristics: open to the public
free of charge

This symposium is organized in the framework of a delegation visit from the Kansai Medical University (KMU), Japan. A university-wide partnership between UniBE and KMU was officially launched in 2025, where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Rector of the University of Bern, Prof. Virginia Richter, at Swissnex Osaka. At the UniBE Day at the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, organized by the Center for Space and Habitability, a panel with ESA astronaut Marco Sieber discussed "How Space Research, Medicine and AI shape Our Future."

The Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, and the Center for Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine at Inselspital, are supported in organizing this symposium by the University of Bern and its Faculty of Medicine.

Program Overview

 

Time

Topic

Speakers
08:30 - 09:00 Welcome

Prof. Virginia Richter, Prof. Brice-Olivier Demory, Prof. Matthias Wilhelm
09:00 - 10:00

1 - White Mars: Antarctica's Role in Preparing for Deep Space Missions
Talk 2
3 - From Orbit to Earth: Linking Space Education and Life Sciences for Future Healthcare

Dr. Jessica Studer
Prof. Yutaka Kimura
Prof. Kate Kitagawa
10:00 - 10:30 Q&A and Discussion All participants
10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 - 12:00

Talk 1
2 - From the search for life beyond the Earth to the intraoperative detection of tumours
3 - Remote Healthcare in Low-Resource Settings: Similar Challenges in Space Missions and Ageing Societies

Lisa Brandenburg
Prof. Brice-Olivier Demory

Prof. Matthias Wilhelm
12:00 - 12:30 Q&A and Discussion All participants

Speakers

Prof. Virginia Richter
Rector of the University of Bern

Lisa Brandenburg
PhD Candidate for the SenseLife Project at the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH), University of Bern, and the Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel

Prof. Brice-Olivier Demory
Director of the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH), University of Bern

Prof. Yutaka Kimura
Professor at the Center for Health Sciences, Kansai Medical University, Japan

Prof. Kate Kitagawa
Professor of Practice in Space Research and Education, La Trobe University, Australia

Dr. Jessica Studer
Medical Expert at MEDES - Institute for Space Physiology and Medicine, former Research Physician at the European Space Agency (ESA) and medical student at the University of Bern

Prof. Matthias Wilhelm
Medical Director of the Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, University Hospital Inselspital