Ten Years of the Human Research Act – past, present and future

Friday, November 22nd 2024, 1 - 5.15 pm, followed by an aperitif, Kursaal, Bern


It’s ten years now since the Swiss Federal Human Research Act (HRA) came into effect. The HRA regulates the requirements of any human research project in Switzerland and the stipulations to be observed in the interests of the persons participating therein to protect their dignity, privacy and health.


The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) wishes to appropriately mark the tenth anniversary of the HRA’s entry into effect with a symposium to be held in Bern on Friday, 22 November 2024 at which specialists from the academic field, industry, NGOs and the public administration sector will look back on the Act’s first ten years, will report on the associated findings and conclusions and will cast a glance ahead.


What lessons can be learnt from the experiences of the past ten years? What challenges are presently posed, from the perspective of the authorities, the law and the research field? How might human research develop further in the coming decade and beyond?


The symposium will be public and attendance will be free. The event is aimed at anyone interested in the field of human research. 


Register here

Programme

Download: Programme Symposium HRA (PDF, 47 KB)

Time Presentation Speaker
from 13.00 h Arrival of the guests  
Block 1: Past
13.30 h Welcome (Presentation in German) Brigitte Meier, Head of Section Human Research, Federal Office of Public Health
13.40 h 10 Years of the HRA: The Beginnings (Presentation in French and in German) Andrea Arz de Falco, Vice Director, Federal Office of Public Health
14.05 h The HRA and Its Effects: Insights from the Evaluation (Presentation in German) Prof. Thomas Widmer, Institute of political science, University of Zurich
Block 2: Present
14.30 h Current Challenges in Human Research (Presentation in German) Brigitte Meier, Head of Section Human Research, Federal Office of Public Health
14.45 h Research Act: What Legal Developments for Data Use? (Presentation in French) Prof. Frédéric Erard, University of Lausanne
15.05 h The Human Research Act: Promotion or Hindrance to Patient Involvement? (Presentation in German) Jennifer Woods, Patient Partner
Ivo Schauwecker, President Eupati Switzerland
15.30 h-16.00 h: Break
16.00 h Clinical and Pharmaceutical Research: Situation in Switzerland and International Trends (Presentation in German) Ina Meyer, Study & Site Operations Country Manager Switzerland, Novartis
Michael Arzt, Lead Early Medical, Novartis
16.20 h Challenges in Implementing the HRA (Presentation in German) Susanne Driessen, President swissethics
Simone Ferbitz, Head of Division Clinical Trials, swissmedic
Block 3: Future
16.50 h The Future of Clinical Research – New Horizons, New Paths (Presentation in German) Katrin Simioni, Deputy Head Clinical Operations, AO Foundation
17.05 h Closing Brigitte Meier, Head of Section Human Research, Federal Office of Public Health
17.10 h Aperitif  

The presentations will be simultaneously translated into German, French, Italian, and English. If you require simultaneous translation, please let us know and bring your smartphone along with your headphones.

Location of the symposium and directions

Location
Kursaal Bern, Kornhausstrasse 3, 3013 Bern
Go to Google Maps

Getting there by public transport
Take the No.9 tram from Bern railway station (Bay B) to the ‘Kursaal’ stop.

Getting there by car
The Kursaal can be easily reached from any direction. Just follow Google Maps or your navigation system, giving ‘Kursaal Parking’ as the destination.

Parking
The Kursaal has its own underground car park. Please note that parking is limited on the nearby streets. Information on car parking fees and vehicle charging stations 

Registration

Register here

Contact us

10_jahre_hfg@bag.admin.ch
Federal Office of Public Health
Human Research Section

LinkedInFacebookX