On 29 April 2026, SENSOPAD participated in FemTech Talks Vol. 01: Mind the Research Gap, an event organised by FemTech Portugal in Lisbon to spotlight the structural inequalities that continue to shape women’s health research and innovation.
Bringing together researchers, clinicians, innovators, and advocates, the event explored how persistent gaps in funding, diagnostics, and clinical research continue to affect women’s healthcare worldwide, while also highlighting the work being developed in Portugal to address these challenges.
Addressing the Research Gap in Women’s Health
The event opened with a broader discussion around the global state of women’s health research. Among the issues highlighted were the underfunding of women-specific conditions, the historic exclusion of women from clinical trials, and the continued lack of sex-specific data in medical research and treatment development.
Endometriosis emerged as one of the central examples of this research gap. Affecting approximately 190 million women worldwide, the condition remains significantly underfunded and underdiagnosed, with patients waiting an average of 7.5 years to receive a confirmed diagnosis.
Within this context, SENSOPAD was presented as an example of how research and technological innovation can contribute to more accessible and patient-centred diagnostic approaches.
Dr. Liliana Carneiro Presented SENSOPAD’s Research Progress
Representing the project, Dr. Liliana Carneiro, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Universidade de Coimbra’s BioMark Research Group, presented SENSOPAD’s ongoing work on the development of wearable sensing technologies for endometriosis monitoring.
Her presentation focused on the project’s efforts to develop non-invasive devices capable of detecting biomarkers associated with endometriosis in menstrual fluid. By combining biosensing technologies with nanotechnology-based approaches, SENSOPAD aims to support earlier detection and continuous monitoring of the disease through tools that can be integrated into everyday life.
Dr. Carneiro also shared some of the project’s recent technological developments, including progress on biosensing components designed for future integration into wearable devices. The presentation highlighted the importance of creating alternatives to invasive diagnostic procedures and reducing the long delays that many patients currently experience before diagnosis.
Beyond the technological dimension, the session reinforced the human impact behind the research, particularly the need to improve quality of life and healthcare pathways for people living with endometriosis.
Dr. Lorena Diéguez Joined the Panel Discussion
Following the presentations, Dr. Lorena Diéguez, Research Group Leader at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), joined the event’s panel discussion alongside researchers and experts from across the women’s health and innovation ecosystem.
The panel explored several structural challenges affecting women’s health research, including the lack of investment in female-specific conditions, the importance of sex-specific medical data, and the barriers that still exist between scientific research, healthcare systems, and innovation uptake. The discussion also highlighted Portugal’s growing potential as a collaborative ecosystem for FemTech research and development.
Building Momentum for Women’s Health Innovation
SENSOPAD’s participation in FemTech Talks: Mind the Research Gap reflects the project’s commitment to advancing research-driven solutions for women’s health and contributing to broader conversations around equity in healthcare innovation.
By bringing together expertise across biosensing, nanotechnology, and healthcare research, the project continues to work toward:
- Non-invasive diagnostic and monitoring tools
- Wearable technologies for endometriosis management
- Faster and more accessible healthcare solutions
- Greater visibility for women’s health research challenges
The SENSOPAD team thanks FemTech Portugal for organising an event dedicated to creating dialogue, visibility, and collaboration around women’s health innovation in Portugal and beyond.
🔗 Learn more about the event on FemTech Portugal’s Substack