Space Meets Medicine Symposium

Exploring Space, Advancing Human Health

Wednesday, 2026/06/10, 14:00


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 and extreme environments. 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 / European Space Agency (ESA) / Center for Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine, Inselspital
Speaker: Various
Date: 10.06.2026
Time: 14:00 - 17:00
Locality: Exact Sciences, Room A006
University of Bern
Sidlerstrasse 5
3012 Bern
Registration: Register here!
Characteristics: open to the public
free of charge

This edition welcomes the European Space Agency (ESA) as a central partner. ESA experts will present medical operations, exploration technologies (EXMS), and life sciences strategy. This second event in the "Space Meets Medicine" series is organized by the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) at the University of Bern, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Center for Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine at Inselspital Bern.

Program Overview

 

Time

Topic

Speakers
14:00 Opening Remarks

Virginia Richter and Nadia Mercader Huber
14:15 Input Swiss Space Office Swiss Space Office
14:30 Space Medicine and Spaceflight Medical Operations Sergi Vaquer Araujo
15:00 The Inner Frontier: Mental Health Challenges in Analog Missions Jessica Studer
15:20

Synced Waves, Stronger Minds: Investigating Mindfulness Effects with EEG in Astronauts and Patients

 Deniz Eroglu and Sven Schmutz
15:40 Coffee Break All
16:10 ESA Roadmap and Ways of Engagement Fabian Möller
16:40 Less Load, Greater Gain: Blood Flow Restriction Training Across Rehabilitation and Space Medicine Luke Hughes
17:00 Concluding Remarks Matthias Wilhelm and Brice-Olivier Demory

Speakers

Prof. Virginia Richter
Rector of the University of Bern

Prof. Nadia Mercader Huber
Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern

TBD
Swiss Space Office (SSO), State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)

Dr. Sergi Vaquer Araujo
Chief Medical Officer and Lead Space Medicine Team, Human and Robotic Exploration Directorate, European Space Agency ESA

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

Dr. Deniz Eroglu
Project Manager of Medical Systems at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology CSEM

Dr. phil. Sven Schmutz
Lead Psychologist & Cardiopsychology, University Clinic for Cardiology, Bern University Hospital Inselspital

Dr. Fabian Möller
Lead Human Exploration Science Team, European Space Agency ESA

Dr. Luke Hughes
Associate Professor at the School for Sport Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK

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

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