Apéro for Clinical Researchers: How men can support women in clinical research

Join us for an insightful apéro dedicated to empowering women in clinical research. Discover how men can be allies in overcoming the unique challenges faced by women in this vital field. Register by May 17th and be part of the conversation for positive change.

Thursday 23 May 2024 5.30 – 7 pm
sitem-insel foyer

Announcing the next DCR Medical Grant Writing Program for Clinicians 2024

Registration is open until May 15 for the June–December 2024 DCR Medical Grant Writing Program for Clinicians. Kicking off the week of June 3, the third iteration of the Program offers evening hours to accommodate busy clinicians with full-time work commitments.

Tailored for clinicians aiming to enhance their grant application skills for clinical research projects, the Program offers an intensive curriculum—over 6 months—covering planning, writing, developing, and revising scientific grant proposals in English.

DCR Lecture Prof. Jessica Bastiaansen

Has MRI Realized Its Full Potential? - Reflections on Past, Present, and Future Utility

DCR-Lecture: Wednesday, 29 May 2024, 12.45 – 1.30 PM via Zoom.

Prof. Dr. Jessica Bastiaansen, an SNSF Eccellenza fellow and Assistant Professor at the University of Bern and the Department of Radiology (Inselspital), leads a research group dedicated to advancing MRI technology
At the heart of MRI is the use of unique water signatures of biological tissues to obtain critical, non-invasive clinical insights without radiation exposure. In her lecture, discusses whether MRI has fully lived up to its potential, addressing its complexity and opportunities for richer data and broader applications.

Please register in advance.
After registration, you will receive more information via email.

DCR Lecture Prof. Dr. Tobias Nef

From Assessments to Interventions

DCR-Lecture: Wednesday, 24 April 2024, 12.45 – 1.30 PM via Zoom.

Sensors in the environment of patients with neurodegenerative diseases can be used to measure the everyday behavior of patients in their natural environment.
In this talk, we will discuss advantages and disadvantages of applications in the hospital, in the instrumented apartment NeuroTec Loft, and at the patient's home.

Prof. Dr Tobias Nef is an Assistant Professor and Technical Group Head at ARTORG Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research.

Please register in advance.
After registration, you will receive more information via email.

Swiss IICT Call Open - new process @DCR

The Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials program of the Swiss National Science Foundation is a funding scheme targeting clinical researchers who wish to conduct a multicenter randomized-controlled trial which is beyond the normal Swiss National Science Foundation project funding scheme in terms of its research question, comprehensive nature, duration, complexity, and costs.

The whole process follows a five-step approach.
Please click here for details.

Sven Trelle will step down as Director CTU

After more than 15 years at CTU Bern, Sven will step down as Director in April.
Sven has been with CTU from the very beginning and made decisive contributions to the successful establishment of the unit. Today, CTU Bern is an integral part of the clinical research landscape in Bern. In addition to his work as Director, he has supported a large number of clinical research projects with his expertise. Many of these projects with significant impact on health care and research.
From April onwards, Sven will remain with DCR on a reduced workload as a consultant.

A farewell lecture will be held on March 28 at 2 pm, followed by an Apéro.
Please join us to thank Sven and learn from his deep insights.

Thursday 28 March 2024
Talk: 2 pm | Apéro: 3 pm
Location: sitem-insel | Freiburgstrasse 3, 3010 Bern | CATR Auditorium, 2nd floor

Please register by Friday, 22 March 2024.

DCR Lecture Dr. Simon Wandel

Reflections on event adjudication in cardiovascular outcome trials

DCR Lecture - Wednesday, 27 March 2024
12.45 – 1.30 PM via Zoom.


Event adjudication is widely applied in cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) to standardize endpoint ascertainment and remove potential bias due to spurious events. I will present selected findings from a recent individual-participant meta-analysis that we undertook to evaluate the effect of event adjudication for heart failure outcomes. In the second part, I will highlight some statistical challenges around milestone event prediction for CVOTs.

Please register in advance.
After registration, you will receive more information via email.

Call for proposals for edited volume: Implementing Patient and Public Involvement: Engaging Patients and the Public in Clinical Research

Involving patients and the public in health care—although not a new phenomenon—is an area of increasing importance in the field of clinical, patient-centered research. Although patient and public involvement (PPI) clearly acknowledges the important roles patients and the public play in clinical research, the edited volume explores questions related to implementing PPI.

Video Message from Prof. Dr. Claudio Bassetti, Dean Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern

To build on its strengths and to remain competitive over the long term, the Faculty od Medicine has developed a forward-looking and innovative strategic plan. In his video message, Prof. Dr. Claudio Bessetti shares some key activities that will be implemented this year

Special Seminars

DCR invites you to a talk by Prof. Dr. Amy Koerber—lead author of The Predatory Paradox: Ethics, Politics, and Practices in Contemporary Scholarly Publishing.

The Predatory Publishing Paradox by Prof. Dr. Amy Koerber
In “publish or perish” academic settings, institutional prizing of quantity over quality has given rise to and perpetuated the dilemma of predatory publishing. Upon close examination, however, the definition of “predatory” itself becomes slippery, evading neat boxes or lists that might seek to easily define and guard against it.

Thursday 08 February 2024
Talk: 3:30 pm | Apéro: 5:00 pm
Location: sitem-insel | Freiburgstrasse 3, 3010 Bern | Felix Frey Auditorium, EO.211, ground floor

The event will be in-person only (audio and video recorded).

Please register by 1 February 2024 (Microsoft Forms; sign-in not required) space is limited!

DCR Lecture WEDNESDAY, 31 JANUARY 2024 12.45 – 13.30 via zoom.

Health Economics and Evidence Generation to Support Medical Decision-Making

Lecturer: Gian Luca di Tanna, Professor of BioStatistics and Health Economics, Head of Research, Department of Business Economics, Health & Social Care (DEASS), SUPSI • Professorial Fellow of The George Institute for Global Health and UNSW

Please register here in advance.
After registration, you will receive more information via email.

In Conversation with Roxana Mehran - Secrets of an Outstanding Role Model

The Commission for Equality together with the DCR is happy to invite you to an exciting breakfast with Prof. Roxana Mehran, MD, FSCAI - Mount Sinai Professor in Cardiovascular Clinical Research and Outcomes.

Apéro for Females in Surgical Research

Come and meet colleagues across all stages of their careers who can share stories and knowledge of the challenges and rewards of being a female surgical clinical researcher.

Thursday 16 November 2023 6.30 – 8pm
sitem-insel foyer

A Tale of Two Cities: Aspirin in Secondary Prevention of Bowel Cancer/ Outcomes of SARS-CoV2 vaccination in patients with cancer

For the Bern Lecture, Professor Segelov will present results from two large research projects: the ASCOLT Phase III RCT of aspirin adjuvant therapy for Colorectal cancer, and the SerOZNET study, measuring outcomes of serial vaccinations for SARS-CoV2 in patients with solid tumours and hematological cancers, including children and adolescents.

DCR Medical Grant Writing Program for Clinicians 2024

DCR is delighted to announce applications for the next DCR Medical Grant Writing Program for Clinicians, starting in January 2024 are now open through November 1, 2023, with decisions planned for November 15, 2023.
The DCR Medical Grant Writing Program requires a total time investment for writing consultations and workshops of around 10 hours over 6 months.

Special Seminar: Better with Bubbles - New Horizons for Clinical Ultrasound

Explore the revolutionary potential of gas-filled microbubbles in clinical ultrasound imaging. From being a mere physics curiosity, these bubbles are now the backbone of groundbreaking biomedical strategies.
Join us for this insightful lecture and dive deep into the world of bubbles and the wonders they promise in the realm of clinical ultrasound.
Witness the future of medicine, visualized and revolutionized by bubbles!

DCR Day of Clinical Research - hand in your application!

We invite all members, including students, of the institutes and clinics of the Faculty of Medicine and of the University hospitals to register for the "Bern Highlights" and "Junior Research" sessions and/or submit their poster applications.
Applications are accepted from July 3 to October 1, 2023.

DCR Day of Clinical Research - Registration is open!

We kindly ask you to please register, if you plan to attend the "Day of Clinical Research" or one or more seminars during the "Week of Clinical Research".
Highlights of the program include lectures by the invited keynote speakers, Prof Roxana Mehran and Prof Marwan Sabbagh, the "Future of Swiss Clinical Research" panel, and sessions for junior researchers.
Registration is open from July 3 to December 1, 2023.

"One of my passions is engagement with patients and the public, who are the very heart of clinical research” (Prof Eva Segelov)

Eva Segelov holds the position of Full Professor for Clinical Research and Director of
the Department of Clinical Research (DCR) at the Medical Faculty of the University of
Bern. In this interview, she discusses her visionary outlook for the DCR and explains
what she likes most about Switzerland.

Apéro for Females in Clinical Research

We are excited to invite you to a special Apero event dedicated to women undertaking translational and clinical research. This informal gathering aims to provide an opportunity to connect, share experiences, and build valuable networks with colleagues at the University of Bern and University Hospitals.

Kick-off DCR Medical Grant Writing Program

The first workshop during the DCR Medical Grant Writing Program for Clinicians organized and presented by DCR Educational Officer and Lecturer Dr. Kristin Bivens had a successful kick-off with nine selected participants. The program is offered free of charge, sponsored by sitem-insel, offering us their well-equipped meeting rooms.

Breaking News: Humans, cats and dogs in BEready study included

The BEready study, aiming to enhance Canton Bern's preparedness for future pandemics, has made significant progress in its pilot phase. Conducted in collaboration with the University of Bern, the study involves visits to 100 households, including adults, children, and pets. Equipped with a specially purchased large suitcase, the research team ensures comprehensive coverage across the canton. The pilot phase is expected to conclude by the summer of 2023, followed by a larger study involving 1,500 households by the end of the year. The BEready study aims to provide valuable insights for targeted pandemic management.

Seminar by Prof Raubenheimer

Bestseller author Prof. David Raubenheimer* from Australia will visit the Inselspital on June 19th to hold a seminar about his and Prof. Stephen Simpson’s discovery of nutritional geometry and the subsequent detection of protein leverage.

DCR-CTU Lecture June 2023 "The Power of Patient Engagement: Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in Clinical Research

Lecturer: Prof Eva Segelov, Director DCR, Sarah Berner, Project PPI DCR, and others.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023
12.45 13.30 (Zoom)
Lecture in English and German

Please register using the provided link.
After registration, you will receive further information by email.
This DCR-CTU lecture is free of charge

30 Children included in MenuCH-Kids Pilot in Bern

The last patient included in the menuCH-Kids pilot in Bern had her examination at DCR-CIU today. Her mother told us why she wanted to have her child be part of the study: "Feeding my child was not always easy for me. I didn't know if she was getting everything she needed. In general, nutrition is a very stressful subject". She also said: "The staff was nice and I thought the process was very good".
Nutrition is particularly important for the healthy development of children and adolescents. This is why the topic is increasingly becoming the focus of research. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) has commissioned several research institutes to jointly conduct a survey on the eating habits of children and adolescents aged 6 to 17. There were 30 children included in the pilot in Bern. The national nutrition survey menuCH-Kids aims to find out how children and adolescents in Switzerland eat today and what effects these eating habits have on their health and development.

DCR Medical Grant Writing Program for Clinicians

Designed for clinicians who would like to enhance their skills regarding applications for grant funding for clinical research projects, the DCR Medical Grant Writing Program offers an intensive program focused on planning, writing, developing, and revising scientific grant application materials written in English.

Day of Clinical Research

Save the Date!
7 Dec 2023
in the Week of Clinical Research December 4-8:
workshops and showcases of the best contemporary patient centered research