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International Women's Day | Festive get-together on women's health throughout the lifespan
To celebrate International Women's Day, the Technology for Women's Health research pillar organized an afternoon session on women-specific conditions, gender and sex in research and personalized health in the TechMed Centre on March 8. A large mixed crowd from inside and outside the University of Twente received information about the latest research and technological developments around four health topics:
- Vitality and fatigue, presented by Christina Bode
- Breast cancer, presented by Rianne Bulthuis
- Pelvic organ prolapse, presented by Anique Bellos-Grob and Annemarie van der Steen
- Menstruation and ovulation, presented by Danique Hofstee
The interactive meeting provided researchers with an opportunity to present their work on women's health and gather new input and ideas from the audience through a wide range of activities and discussion.
👉 More information on the event in this U-Today article (in Dutch) ‘Pijnlijk hè, zo’n mammografie’ - U-Today (utoday.nl)
👉 An interview with chair of the Technology for Women's Health program Sabine Siesling is featured in Tubantia (In Dutch) Vrouwenlichaam voor veel artsen onbekend terrein, zeggen Twentse onderzoekers: ‘Dit kan zo niet langer’ | Enschede | tubantia.nl
PIONEERS IN HEALTH CARE INNOVATION FUND: awarded Women's health projects
The Pioneers in Health Care Innovation Fund, the University of Twente, Saxion, MST, ZGT and Deventer Hospital promotes bottom-up collaboration between the world of new technologies and medical practice with a view to facilitating the introduction of innovative technology in the clinic. Two projects targeting technology for women's health were awarded:
Functional Ultrasound Measurements of the Pelvic Floor and Anal Muscles: a Explorative Study: This project aims to develop, optimize and clinically implement a functional ultrasound tool (FEM-tool) to quantitate the pelvic floor muscle function. Pelvic floor physiotherapy is not effective for all patients with pelvic organ prolapse. The FEM-tool quantifies the effectiveness at the start of the physiotherapy. This new tool will allow several pelvic floor disciplines, physiotherapists, gynaecologists and surgeons, to measure the pelvic floor function and incorporate this in their patient care.
‘Patients-like-me’ shared decision making dashboard for breast cancer treatment: Of all women, 15% will develop breast cancer. Treatment choice is now mainly based on prognosis, while long-term outcomes, such as pain or fatigue, should also be considered when choosing the most appropriate treatment option. At present, these outcome parameters are insufficiently transparent for patients and professionals. This project aims to further develop an innovative digitally data-driven Patients-Like-Me (PLM) dashboard to support and personalize decisions about breast cancer care together. This includes both prognosis and real-world long-term outcomes.
Interview Anique Bellos-Grob: pessary fitting for pelvic organ prolapse
An interview with Dr. Anique Bellos-Grob on pessaries (mechanical devices) for managing pelvic organ prolapse in women is featured in magazine Bekkenbodem op de Kaart. Bekkenbodem op de Kaart is the infomagazine from Stichting Bekkenbodem4All. Bellos-Grob discusses her work on identifying the different parameters associated with unsuccessful pessary fitting for pelvic organ prolapse, and her efforts working towards personalized, sustainable, patient-friendly and time-saving methods to treat pelvic organ prolapse.
Technology for Women's health in the media: Twente Board
An interview with professor Sabine Siesling on the Technology for Women's Health pillar is featured by Twente Board. Twente Board is a unique collaboration between entrepreneurs, educational institutions and the government. As chair of the Technology for Women's Health pillar, Siesling discusses the various areas of women's health concerns that the pillar embraces and the unique position that the University of Twente holds with regard to women's health, technology and personalized health and health care.
UT Campus Magazine
An interview with Sabine Siesling, Anique Bellos Grob and Nienke Bosschaart on the Technology for Women's Health pillar at the UT is featured in 2022 second edition of CAPMUS, the magazine for alumni and partners of the UT. The various research themes within the pillar, the necessity for medical investment, research, innovation and collaboration and the importance of developing new data strategies and technology for and with women are among the topics addressed.
FDA-CRDH PUBLISHES HEALTH OF WOMEN STRATEGIC PLAN
The Centre for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published in January 2022 its Health of Women Strategic Plan. In this plan, the different priorities of the CDRH Health of Women Program are outlined, to protect and promote the health of women, being: Sex and Gender-Specific Analysis and Reporting, Integrated Approach for Current and Emerging Issues Related to the Health of Women and the Research Roadmap.
ZonMw Gender in Research Fellowships 2022
The ZonMw Gender and Health Knowledge Program will provide Gender in Research Fellowships for PhD-students and post-doctoral researchers to attend the Gender and Health course and participate in the Gender in Research workshops at the Erasmus Summer Programme from 22-26 August 2022.
- The deadline for applications is 25 April 2022
ZonMw Verankering van sekse en gender in onderzoek
The aim of the call for grants is to make research practice for health (care) research more sex- and gender-sensitive by structurally applying and embedding the methodologies, instruments and infrastructures developed for this purpose in health (care) research.
- The deadline is 23 June 2022