University of Twente launches minor in women’s health tech
To bring students’ voices into the fold, they have launched a new minor 'Technology for Women's Health in a Lifespan Perspective’.
Published on August 8, 2025
Christina Bode - © University of Twente
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The University of Twente (UT) is launching a new minor that incorporates students' ideas into technologies for women's health. In addition to the contribution brought by the UT researchers, the minor 'Technology for Women's Health in a Lifespan Perspective’ will take the students' voices into consideration.
Chronic diseases impact women differently from men, both in how they develop and how they respond to treatment. Some conditions, like breast cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, disproportionately affect women, while others—such as endometriosis—are exclusive to female biology. Endometriosis, for example, is a long-term condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb, often leading to severe pain and fertility issues.
Women also face additional health challenges throughout life stages—from menstruation and pregnancy to perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. These phases can also bring significant mental health concerns. This broad spectrum of issues underscores the importance of research focused specifically on women’s health.
Bridging technology and real-life needs
Christina Bode, a health psychology researcher and programme director of the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Psychology, shares, “At the University of Twente, we have been contributing to designing technologies for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of women’s health issues for years. At some point, we wanted to offer students the opportunity to learn more about women’s health and encourage further research. This is why the Psychology programme, in collaboration with the Technical Medical Center and DesignLab, developed the minor. Our university's motto is ‘High Tech, Human Touch’ and the minor reflects it perfectly: it brings together clinicians and researchers from different disciplines, and students learn to solve a real-life health issue.”
Open to all bachelor’s and exchange students, the 10-week programme dives into the health concerns women face at various life stages. Topics include mental health around pregnancy and menopause, pelvic disorders, and more. The course culminates in a group project where students design a prototype aimed at diagnosing, assessing, or treating a specific condition.
Focusing on endometriosis
The capstone project focuses on endometriosis, a condition that typically takes an average of seven years to diagnose. Students attend lectures and workshops by guest speakers, and conduct interviews with patients from the Endometriosis Patient Organisation and medical professionals from the Endometriosis Clinic. “It is incredibly valuable for students to hear from patients what they experience,” adds the researcher, “What strikes them most is the level of pain women with endometriosis endure.”
Previous student projects have included prototypes to monitor pain levels, tools to enhance MRI and sonography diagnostics, and even virtual reality applications to help patients and healthcare professionals better understand the condition.
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Shaping the future of women’s health
Traditional medical research has long relied on male-centric models, creating significant gaps in understanding and treating women’s health. Christina emphasizes the need for greater research funding and the inclusion of women of all ages in clinical trials to address these disparities.
In the Netherlands, efforts to improve women’s health are gaining momentum. Initiatives are aligning through the Netherlands Women’s Health Research & Innovation Center, where Christina and her colleagues are exploring new opportunities to collaborate on both physical and mental health topics affecting women.