Welcome to The Gebhard Lab

Our knowledge about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease originates from studies mainly done on male cells, male mice, and men. Historically, women of childbearing age were excluded from clinical trials. As a result, medical research and care have been centered on male physiology. The assumption was that male and female cells and animals were biologically identical, and evidence-based medicine was defined by clinical trials done predominantly in men. Similarly, experimental research and drug development studies have also predominantly used male animal models and cells. As a consequence, contemporary clinical guidelines do not sufficiently account for sex and gender differences.

Despite acknowledgement of this gender disbalance since the 1990s, the sex and gender bias in experimental and clinical research persists in contemporary medicine. Accordingly, female sex remains substantially underrepresented in experimental and clinical research – with detrimental implications for women. The Gebhard Lab aims to making a real change for both male and female patients by increasing our understanding of sex- and gender-specific disease mechanisms in cardiovascular disease and critical illness. In addition, our work focuses on identifying sex- and gender bias in the provision of health care in Switzerland. By providing teaching material and being involved in numerous teaching activities for students, postgraduates as well as lay people, we also aim to raise awareness for the importance of sex and gender as genetic, biological, and environmental modifiers of disease.