News and Events

Athena’s Journey: Women in Science

5:00 PM 8:30 PM Thursday, May 2, 2024

Athena's Journey is a "Women in Science" organization, endorsed by the Department of Biomedicine and in collaboration with TWIST: Towards more Women in Science and Technology. Every Month, Athena’s Journey hosts female speakers from academic and industry-based institutions from around Switzerland for a unique series of life and career advice for progressive scientists.

In May, Dr. Jordyn Wallenborn shared her personal journey navigating a scientific career, embracing neurodiversity, and thriving as a young woman in a male-dominated field.

Research Symposium on Breastfeeding

9:30 AM 7:00 PM Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Together with the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, we hosted the first ever Research Symposium on Breastfeeding.

We had 50 participants from UNICEF Laos, World Health Organization, USAID, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc., Catholic Relief Services, the Lao Ministry of Health, Vientiane Health Center, Lao PDR Nutrition Center, and leaders from the local health hospitals.

Symposium on Women and Gender in Global Health

9:15 - 17:15 CET Wednesday 20 November 2024

Experts from academia, public administration, international organisations, and the private sector shared insights and brainstormed on innovative solutions to improve the health and well-being of women around the globe. Topics included:

  • Innovations in Access to Maternal Health

  • Cancer Prevention and Care in Women

  • Breaking the Cycle: Health Systems and Gender-Based Violence

  • Gender, One Health and Planetary Health

  • Biologic and Immunologic Gender Differences

  • Menstrual Health Equity discuss gender-sensitive policies and data-driven solutions to support women’s health worldwide

Seminar by Dr. Jordyn Wallenborn

1:00 PM 2:00 PM Tuesday, September 26, 2023

The Virginia Commonwealth University (Department of Epidemiology) hosted a seminar by Dr. Jordyn Wallenborn on the topic of early life nutrition

Mothers deserve better: Why we need more data on breastfeeding to drive change

The benefits of breastfeeding are well documented – yet, it also comes with challenges that many women struggle with. In the latest Impact Story, Jordyn Wallenborn, PhD, MPH argues that we need better data on breastfeeding practices and challenge for creating policies that truly benefit mothers and children.

Read more about how data can transform breastfeeding support on the Swiss TPH Impact Stories.

“Exclusive Breastfeeding” open expert discussion

We recently had the pleasure of hosting an open table discussion at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute focused on re-assessing the global exclusive breastfeeding recommendations.

This crucial topic brought together experts from different fields and backgrounds, creating a unique platform for interdisciplinary exchange and shared insights on breastfeeding and maternal and child health.

During this event, we explored the latest research, global guidelines, and cultural perspectives on exclusive breastfeeding, emphasizing the need for more specified and evidence-based recommendations.