Practical information
Campus Biotech, Geneva. The event runs from Friday 6 November at 11:00 to Saturday 7 November at 19:00.
- VenueCampus Biotech, Geneva
- Dates6–7 November 2026
- Duration32 hours
Who can attend
- Master’s and PhD students, postdocs and researchers from UNIGE and partner institutions.
- Clinicians from HUG and other clinical partners.
- Engineers, data scientists and methodologists who want to work on real clinical and research problems.
- A limited number of wildcard participants invited by challenge owners for complementary expertise.
Programme
Friday 11:00 to Saturday 19:00 at Campus Biotech. After 19:00 on Saturday, an informal celebration in town.
Friday 6 November — Kickoff
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Welcome & registration Badge pickup, settle in |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Opening remarks Camille Bellone, Thomas Maillart, and the Dean |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch |
| 13:00 – 14:30 | Challenge pitches Six 10-minute presentations by challenge runners, with Q&A |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Team formation Participants select challenges and form teams |
| 15:00 – 19:00 | Hacking block 1 Teams start working on their challenges |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | Dinner |
| 20:00 – late | Evening hacking Optional deep work, social activities, games |
Saturday 7 November — Main hacking day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:30 | Breakfast + standup |
| 09:30 – 12:30 | Hacking block 2 Deep work on challenges |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Mentoring rotation Board members visit teams for feedback |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 – 16:30 | Hacking block 3 Final sprint |
| 16:30 – 17:00 | Break Prepare for presentations |
| 17:00 – 18:30 | Final presentations Public, in the presence of philanthropic funders |
| 18:30 – 19:00 | Awards & closing remarks |
| After 19:00 | Informal celebration in town |
Preparatory coaching
Coaching sessions run in the weeks before the hackathon, to bring everyone to a common starting point.
Digital phenotyping
~3 weeks before
Vibe coding & AI tools
~2 weeks before
Grant writing for pop-up projects
~1 week before
Recognition and recording
The hackathon is also designed as an experiential learning moment for students. ECTS recognition (via the Lemanic Neuroscience Master and Doctoral Schools) is planned, subject to final confirmation.
With participant consent, table conversations and group work may be recorded using overhead and table-level cameras and audio devices — both as a research tool and as documentation of the event process.