WHIRL
Women's Health Innovation, Research and Leadership Summer School
London, UK
(near Barbican centre)
1-3 July, 2026
Application deadline April 10th
Why WHIRL?
(aka the first interdisciplinary women's health summer school)
For decades, women’s health has been under-researched, under-funded, and under-represented across biomedical research, clinical trials, and health innovation.
Historically:
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Women were excluded from clinical trials until the 1990s
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Sex-specific data gaps persist across disease areas
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Women’s health innovation has lagged behind broader healthcare innovation
At the same time, there is growing recognition that closing the women’s health gap is not only a scientific and clinical necessity, but also a social and economic imperative. Despite this momentum, training opportunities that bridge research, clinical practice, and innovation in women’s health remain rare.
WHIRL was created to address that gap.
WHIRL's mission
Our mission is to empower the next generation of women’s health leaders by providing interdisciplinary training at the intersection of:
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Scientific research
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Clinical insight
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Innovation and entrepreneurship
We aim to foster:
evidence-based approaches to women's health
cross-disciplinary collaboration
translational thinking from bench to bedside to market
Above all, we aim to build a global, supportive community committed to advancing women’s health.
Who is WHIRL for?
WHIRL 2026 is a three-day immersive summer school combining expert-led lectures, interdisciplinary teamwork, and hands-on innovation in women’s health.
WHIRL is designed for early career:
researchers
clinicians
industry members
who want to deepen their understanding of women’s health challenges and develop solutions with real-world impact.
2026 themes
This year the summer school covers the following three themes:
MATERNAL & FETAL HEALTH
with a focus on the global south
DAY 1
CHRONIC REPRODUCTIVE CONDITIONS
DAY 2
SEX- and GENDER-SENSITIVE MEDICINE
DAY 3
What does a day look like?
BREAKFAST & NETWORKING
MORNING EXPERT-LED LECTURES
Participants attend interactive expert lectures introducing state-of-the-art research and clinical practice, and innovation in industry, highlighting key unmet needs in women’s health.
LUNCH BREAK & NETWORKING
CHALLENGE-SOLVING SESSIONS
Participants work in interdisciplinary teams on real-world challenges curated by keynote speakers. With the support of mentorsfrom academia, clinics and industry, teams explore the problem, assess the market landscape, and design an innovative solution.
Across the three days, teams refine their ideas and pitch their solutions to investors and experts in women’s health.
*plus plenty of coffee breaks during the day!
Speakers & mentors
WHIRL 2026 will feature leading women's health experts from academia, clinical practice, entrepreneurship and investment.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
MATERNAL & FETAL
HEALTH
PROF. JANE
HIRST
Chair of Global Women's Health Imperial College London
CHRONIC REPRODUCTIVE CONDITIONS
PROF. ANDREW
HORNE
Professor of Gynaecology; Director of Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh &
President of World Endometriosis Society
SEX- and GENDER-SENSITIVE MEDICINE
PROF. SABINE
OERTELT-PRIGIONE
Professor of sex- and gender-sensitive medicine at Radboudumc and Universität Bielefeld
SPEAKERS & MENTORS
DR VERONICA ALAM
Senior Director Global Clinical Development at Merck
NINA VAN SCHAICK
Co-founder and COO of Peripear & Midwife
MARIA TERESA PEREZ ZABALLOS
CEO and co-founder of EndoGene.Bio
DR. THOMAS BAINTON
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
DR TEESTA
DEY
Tenure Track Fellow at the University of Liverpool & Medical Consultant at the World Health Organisation
DR DANIELLE
PERRO
Medical affairs manager at Natural Cycles
DR. CRISTINA FERNANDEZ MOLINA
Head of Science and co-founder of EndoGene.Bio
ELENA RUEDA
Co-founder and CEO of Dama Health
DR ANA PAREDES-GARCIA
Post-doctoral fellow in Placental Biology at Wellcome Sanger Institute
DR. BIANCA
SCHOR
AI Researcher in Women's Health at Amsterdam UMC
VERENA STOCKER
Associate Vice President and Regional Head of Lilly Gateway Labs Europe
CHRISTINA
KIM
Gates Scholar MPhil in Placental Biology at Wellcome Sanger Institute
The organising team
DR. MAGDA MARECKOVA
Teaching Fellow at Oxford University & Consultant at Emm
DR. VALENTINA LORENZI
Translational Staff Scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute
LESLEY FARRAH
Chief of Staff at Lake8, Co-founder of Femtech Portugal and of the Cambridge Femtech Society
WHIRL's supporters
We are proud to be supported by organisations committed to advancing women’s health research and innovation.
To ensure WHIRL is accessible to participants from a wide range of backgrounds, we are seeking support to help cover programme delivery costs and keep participation fees affordable. If you are interested in supporting equitable access to women’s health education and innovation, please get in touch by emailing womenshealthsummerschool@gmail.com
