From November 1 to 10, 2026, Berlin will transform into a vibrant hub of scientific ideas and debates during Berlin Science Week. The Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) is actively participating, offering a diverse program of events, workshops, and discussions designed to engage both the scientific community and the general public. This guide provides essential information to help you navigate BIH’s offerings and make the most of your visit.
Key BIH Events During Berlin Science Week 2026
BIH invites you to participate in several unique events, ranging from interactive workshops to insightful speaker sessions. Below is a detailed overview of the program, including dates, times, locations, and what to expect.
1. BIH Diversithon – Let’s Diversify Wikipedia Biographies
When: November 4, 2026, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine, Luisenstr. 65, 10115 Berlin
What: Join us in an effort to increase the representation of women scientists, scientists of color, and other marginalized groups on Wikipedia. Less than 20% of all English Wikipedia articles are about women, and the number for women scientists is even smaller. This ‘edit-a-thon’ will teach you how to create and edit Wikipedia articles, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive online knowledge base.
- No prior experience needed: Everyone is welcome, regardless of Wikipedia editing knowledge.
- What to bring: Some time and a notebook.
- Support: Experienced members of the WomenEdit group Berlin will provide introductions and support in both English and German.
- Welcoming note: Held in English.
2. Workshop: One Cell at a Time: Understanding the Building Blocks of our Bodies
When: November 4 & 5, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: Max Delbrück Center – Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115 Berlin
What: Delve into the fascinating world of single-cell research and discover how scientists are unraveling the mysteries of health, disease, and human development at the most fundamental level. This event will feature:
- Introduction to single-cell technologies: Learn how our bodies form, stay healthy, and sometimes fall ill, with insights into organ and tissue formation, blood and immune system development, and how mutations can trigger disease.
- Machine learning and data science: Understand how these tools are used to make sense of millions of measurements.
- Guided lab tours: Get an up-close look at the discovery process, including simple experiments (pipetting, visualizing, and counting cells) and live demonstrations of advanced laboratory equipment.
- Interactive Q&A: Researchers will be available to answer your questions about the science, their work, and careers in research.
Organized by: Single Cell Focus Area, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité and Max Delbrück Center, Berlin
3. Speaker’s Corner: “Stammzellen – Hoffnungsträger der Medizin von morgen?” (Stem Cells – Hope for Tomorrow’s Medicine?)
When: November 6, 2026, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Where: Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Open Dialogue | John-Foster-Dulles Allee 10, 10557 Berlin
What: (This event will be held in German only.) Meet Dr. Daniel Besser from the Berlin Institute of Health and the German Stem Cell Network to explore how stem cell research is translating scientific findings into new approaches for health. Learn how stem cells renew our bodies throughout life, how they contribute to understanding fundamental processes of development and regeneration, and their potential for future diagnostics and therapies.
Speaker: Dr. Daniel Besser, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité & German Stemcell Network
4. Inspiration Stage: Inside Disease
When: November 8, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Where: Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin
What: This session focuses on a holistic view of disease, exploring how illness takes hold and affects the body as a whole. Talks include:
- 12:00 PM – 12:15 PM | Can your cells change identity and should they?: Elisa Moutin (BIH) discusses cell identity changes in chronic inflammatory diseases and their link to cancer.
- 12:15 PM – 12:30 PM | Pump it out: How do bacteria outsmart our antibiotics?: Julien Thebing (BAM) explains how bacteria develop antibiotic resistance through molecular pumps.
- 12:30 PM – 12:45 PM | Seeing systemic disease in 3D: Doris Kaltenecker (Helmholtz Munich) presents how tissue clearing, 3D imaging, and AI are revolutionizing the study of systemic diseases.
- 12:45 PM – 1:00 PM | How does food set inflammation in motion?: Sreepradha Eswaran (Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University) explores the link between diet, the immune system, and chronic inflammation.
- 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM | Meet the Scientists-session: An informal networking session to ask questions and connect with speakers.
5. Inspiration Stage: Reprogramming & Repair
When: November 8, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:20 PM
Where: Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin
What: This session explores the body’s natural ability to heal and how scientific advancements are leveraging this for new therapies. Topics include:
- 4:00 PM – 4:15 PM | Your own cells, reprogrammed to fight cancer: Schayan Yousefian (BIH) discusses how cell and immunotherapies are transforming cancer treatment.
- 4:15 PM – 4:30 PM | When bones Break: the hidden power of immune cell identity: Ann-Kathrin Meß (BIH) explains the crucial role of immune cells in bone fracture healing.
- 4:30 PM – 4:45 PM | Public health: Balancing privacy and data sharing: Luke Flanagan (BIH) addresses the importance of health data privacy in an era of increasing data sharing.
- 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Cellular memory in the liver: Irene Talon (BIH) explores how adult liver cells use fetal programs to regenerate after chronic damage.
- 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM | Meet the BIH Scientists: An informal networking session with the speakers.
6. Try out digital anonymized psychotherapy!
When: November 9, 2026, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Where: Berlin Institute of Health (Rahel Hirsch Center), Luisenstraße 65, 10117 Berlin
What: Explore the potential of anonymous digital psychotherapy. This event offers a chance to try out an anonymization tool during a short mock therapy session, mimicking an intake for sex therapy. This is part of the VERANDA research project, which aims to overcome barriers to accessing psychotherapy due to stigma.
- Duration: 1-hour slots.
- Confidentiality: All shared information is treated as confidential; no identifying information is stored.
- Feedback: Participants are encouraged to provide feedback on their experience with the anonymization tool.
7. Multiscale Human Touchpoints
When: November 9 & 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Where: Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Luisenstraße 65, 10117 Berlin
What: Embark on a fantastic voyage through the human body with large-format data visualizations. This exhibit allows you to explore the healthy male and female body across ten spatial and temporal scales, from proteins to organs. The Human Reference Atlas (HRA), Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO), and Decision Theater project (DT) will be showcased, demonstrating how high-quality data can improve healthcare decisions.
Organized by: Indiana University, Berlin Institute of Health @ Charité (BIH), Arizona State University
8. Bright Ideas for Responsible Research: Finalists Compete for the €100,000 Early Career Award
When: November 10, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Where: Online via Zoom
What: Meet the finalists for the €100,000 Einstein Foundation Early Career Award, which champions research quality, transparency, and reproducibility. Up to six early-career researchers will present their proposals for promoting research quality. An international jury will select the winner after a Q&A session with both the jury and the audience.
- Moderator: Ulrich Dirnagl, Secretary of the Einstein Foundation Award and Founding Director of the QUEST Center for Responsible Research at BIH.
- Funding: The Early Career Award is generously funded by the Berlin Institute of Health.
How to Access the Full Program and Stay Updated
For the complete Berlin Science Week 2026 program, including all events from various partners, please visit the official website:
🔗 Berlin Science Week 2026 Program
We look forward to seeing you at Berlin Science Week 2026 and engaging in stimulating discussions and discoveries!
Source: https://www.bihealth.org/en/notices/berlin-science-week-2026-bih-program-offers
