GeGe4Nephro at GenDiMedNet Annual Assembly

The GeGe4Nephro consortium participated in the GenDiMedNet Annual Assembly on February 3, 2026, in Berlin. We shared details about our international partner network, objectives, and innovative approach to address gender-specific differences in the treatment of kidney transplant patients. Team members also joined workshops on gender and data topics, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration with other funded initiatives.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a current global challenge affecting approximately 800M people worldwide. Moreover, gender disparities persist in treatment. Amongst others, women are facing higher mortality rates in the first five years after dialysis start, while having an approximate 20% lower occurrence on approbate transplant waiting lists. GeGe4Nephro was established to address these specific inequities through data-driven innovation.

Presenting the GeGe4Nephro Consortium

The kick-off event in Berlin provided a high-energy platform for the GeGe4Nephro team to present our interdisciplinary, international consortium and a roadmap for the coming months. During our presentation, we addressed the „gender data gap“ in kidney research. Although biological sex and social gender significantly influence the progression of CKD and the success of transplants, these factors are not fully considered in the standards of care today. As a result, GeGe4Nephro aims to implement machine learning models to analyze complex longitudinal transplant datasets to support the discovery of sex-specific treatment differences. The GeGe4Nephro team was represented in this event by Antje M. Richter (JLU), Fareeha Afzal and Matthieu-P. Schapranow (HPI).

Interdisciplinary Workshops

Beyond the presentation, team members actively participated in workshops. These workshops focused on gender-specific design, theory of change, and FAIR data handling. Thus, they offered valuable insights into current challenges, best practices, and innovative strategies for integrating gender considerations into biomedical research. Furthermore, the sessions also fostered meaningful exchanges with other funded teams working at the intersection of gender, health, and technology, strengthening the GeGeMedNet community and encouraging collaborative problem-solving.

We are excited to be part of the GeGeMedNet community and look forward to advancing the GeGe4Nephro project in the months ahead.

(c) Photos J. Schoss, A. Richter, adapted by M. Schapranow