We often assume that medical knowledge is neutral: what works for one person works for another. But reality is more complex. In healthcare, both biological sex differences and social gender roles play a significant part — and this has direct consequences for diagnosis, treatment, and health. During this lecture, Jeanine Roeters van Lennep, an internist and expert in sex, gender, and health, will demonstrate how these differences arise and why they matter.

‍

Cardiovascular diseases are a striking example. While the image of “the typical heart patient” is still male, women are affected just as often — but with slightly different symptoms, different risk profiles, and sometimes different underlying causes and variations in treatment. As a result, signs in women are more often missed or misinterpreted. Roeters van Lennep will discuss why this happens, which misconceptions persist, and what the latest insights mean for practical application.

‍

The story goes beyond biology alone. Gender — the expectations, roles, and behaviors we associate with men and women — influences how people describe their symptoms, how doctors interpret them, and how healthcare systems are structured. This creates a subtle but persistent difference in healthcare outcomes. The lecture will clarify the importance of recognizing and breaking through these blind spots.

‍

Jeanine Roeters van Lennep is an internist specializing in vascular medicine and a professor of Cardiovascular Health with a focus on sex-specific factors at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. She is co-director of the Netherlands Women’s Health Research and Innovation Centre, where she is committed to improving knowledge, care, and prevention for women. For her work on gender-sensitive medicine, she received the Corrie Hermann Prize from the Dutch Association of Female Physicians.

‍

She is co-author of the books 'Het vrouwenhart begeerd en minder miskend' (The Female Heart Desired and Less Misunderstood) and 'Het Vrouwenhart – van ischemie naar preventie' (The Female Heart – from Ischemia to Prevention), in which she makes scientific insights about the female heart accessible to a broad audience. Through her research, teaching, and public appearances, she tirelessly strives to make healthcare more inclusive and effective.

‍

Live music will be provided by Dubio and the moderator is Christa Hooijer.

‍