Collegium Helveticum
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A capillary driven microfluidic chip integrating semiconductor fabrication and electrically actuated valves for programmable liquid handling. Image by Yuksel Temiz, Marie Salva, and Emmanuel Delamarche (IBM Research Europe)
Conference

From Small Steps to Giant Leaps
Micro Engineering for Health Impact

Details

Participation is free of charge. 

However, to attend the workshop, please register your interest in attending the event here. The organizer will reach out to confirm your participation.

This conference traces the path from foundational micro-technologies to real-world clinical solutions, highlighting how innovations evolve from lab-scale concepts into impactful medical applications. The program features invited talks alongside dynamic discussions, complemented by poster sessions showcasing the work of early-career researchers.

Emphasizing the intersection of bioengineering and creativity, speakers are invited to present their research not only through traditional seminars but also through artistic formats such as video, sound, and visual media. This interdisciplinary perspective fosters new ways of thinking and communicating science.

The event culminates in the “Art in Science” exhibition, where scientific ideas are transformed into immersive artistic experiences.

Program
June 15, 2026

08:30

Arrival at the venue & registration

09:00

Opening & welcome remarks

By Govind Kaigala and the Collegium’s directorate.

Session 1

Discussion leader: Govind Kaigala

09:10

Robotics, Nanotechnology and Biomedicine
Thirty Years at the Frontier

Bradley Nelson
ETH Zurich & Collegium Helveticum, CH

09:55

Single Molecule Nanophotonics
Invisible to Visible Art

Vahid Sandoghdar
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, DE

10:40

Coffee break & poster exhibition

Session 2

Discussion leader: Aditya Kashyap

11:15

Imaging Microfluidics
Frame by Frame

Yuksel Temiz
Microqubic AG, CH

12:00

Caring for Naturecultures: Glaciers
Art exhibition walkthrough with curator Hanna Hölling

13:00

Lunch break

Group lunch for participants at ETH Clausiusbar

Session 3

Discussion leader: Federico Paratore

14:15

Programmable and Plant Microfluidics
Your Food Has Flow

Vesna Bacheva
University of Groningen, NL

15:05

Microfluidics & Tumor-on-Chip
3D Art with Cancer Cells to Impact

Stéphanie Descroix
Institut Curie / CNRS, FR

15:55

Coffee break & poster exhibition

Session 4

Discussion leader: Aditya Kashyap

16:30

Chemical Computing
Toward Direct Interfaces with Living Systems

Heiko Wolf
IBM Research Europe, CH

17:15

Time Capsule

Emmanuel Delamarche
ETH Zurich, CH

17:30

Phantom Field
Phase, Interference, and Perceptual Localization

Kyoka Matsuzawa
Zurich University of the Arts, CH

18:00–18:30

Collegium & Semper Observatory Tour

Followed by a small reception

Program
June 16, 2026

09:00

Welcome & opening remarks

Recap of the first conference day by Govind Kaigala

Session 5

Discussion leader: Anna Fomitcheva

09:05

Microfluidic Proteomics
Hunting Diagnostic Biomarkers

Amy Herr
University of California Berkeley, US

09:50

Biomedical Acoustics
The Sound of Disease

Anurag Agarwal
University of Cambridge, UK

10:35

Coffee break & poster exhibition

Session 6

Discussion leader: Federico Paratore

11:20

Fibers and Forces
The Strings That Make a Cell Dance

Viola Vogel
ETH Zurich, CH

12:05

Women’s Health Technologies
From Neglect to Innovation

Inge Hermann
ETH Zurich, CH

13:00

Lunch break

Group lunch for all participants at ETH Dozentenfoyer

Session 7

Discussion leader: Sofia Graham

14:15

Microengineering & Cell Free Systems
Art Without Boundaries

Sebastian Maerkl
EPFL, CH

15:05

Multi-scale Robotics
Magnets to Medicine

Salvador Pané i Vidal 
ETH Zurich, CH

15:55

Coffee break

Session 8

Discussion leader: Iago Perreiro

16:20

Novel Materials & Microengineering
Visible to Invisible Art (Glass)

Bastian Rapp
Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, DE

16:50

Microfluidics in the Open Space
Moving Micro-Oceans on Tissues

Govind Kaigala
The University of British Columbia, CA
Collegium Helveticum, CH

17:20

Time Capsule

Moran Bercovici
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, IL

17:40–18:00

Closing remarks

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