The vaginal microbiome has emerged as a critical factor in women’s health, with growing implications for reproductive health, pregnancy outcomes, infection risk, and overall wellbeing. Over the past few years, rapid advances in microbiome research, sequencing technologies and analytical methods have significantly expanded our understanding of vaginal microbial ecosystems — while also revealing how much remains to be explored.
This seminar will focus on the vaginal microbiome as a rapidly evolving research and innovation field, highlighting the latest scientific insights, methodological advances and translational approaches. From basic and clinical research to novel diagnostics and therapeutic solutions, the program reflects how new tools and interdisciplinary perspectives are reshaping the field and opening up new possibilities for women’s health.
By bringing together leading researchers and innovative companies, the seminar will showcase the newest research findings, emerging technologies and state of the art methods used to study, measure and influence the vaginal microbiome. The discussions will also address current challenges, unmet needs and future directions — from research design and data interpretation to clinical and commercial application.
The seminar aims to connect academia, healthcare and industry to accelerate microbiome research and innovation in the Medicon Valley region and beyond.
Date: Thursday 22nd October 2026
Time: 14:00 – 18:00
Venue: Medicon Village, Auditorium, Building Inspira, Scheelevägen 4, Lund, Sweden
Program
| 14:00 | Arrival, registration & networking |
| 14:30 |
Welcome Anette Steenberg, CEO, Medicon Valley Alliance |
| 14:40 | Keynote Ina Schuppe Koistinen, Associate Professor, Karolinska Institutet |
| 15:05 | Title TBA Henriette Svarre Nielsen, Professor Consultant, University of Copenhagen and Hvidovre Hospital |
| 15:30 | Title TBA Speaker TBA, Gedea Biotech |
| 15:50 | Title TBA Elleke Bosma, Director Microbiome Research, Freya Bioscience |
| 16:10 | Coffee break |
| 16:40 | Title TBA Arne Materna, Co-CEO & Board Member, Bio-Me |
| 17:00 | Panel discussion |
| 17:30 | Networking, drinks and snacks |
| 18:00 | End of meeting |
Speakers
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Henriette Svarre Nielsen has worked with reproductive and women’s health in 25 years as a clinician, scientist, and entrepreneur. She is motivated by clinical impact. In the clinic she works with fertility treatment and pregnancy loss and scientifically she aim for understanding the underlying biological mechanisms involved in for example pregnancy loss, PCOS, endometriosis, pregnancy and delivery complications and menopause. She has led a Biostudio project at BII and is the founder or co-founder of Maternity Foundation, Ovacure, Nima Life and Lulu Health. |
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Elleke Bosma is Director Microbiome Research at Freya Biosciences. She has >12 years of experience in microbiology including molecular biology, metabolism, and genetics, with a focus on a variety of bacilli and lactobacilli. Within these fields, she obtained her PhD at Wageningen University (NL), performed postdoctoral research at Wageningen University and DTU (DK) and worked in R&D at Chr. Hansen (DK). Elleke joined Freya Biosciences at the founding of the company and has been the primary responsible for all laboratory and research activities. |
Deadline for registration is 20th October
The Network
The MVA Microbiome Network is a professional network for Medicon Valley Alliance members from industry, academia and health care sector with interest in the Microbiome field, including drug discovery, nutrition and probiotic development. Joining the network is free of charge but is limited to Medicon Valley Alliance members. However, non-member organizations and companies are welcome to attend one network event to evaluate if joining the network is relevant. If so, becoming a member of Medicon Valley Alliance will automatically allow you to join the microbiome network.
For more information please contact Katrine Brems Olsen kbo@mva.org
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