The first international Language & Medicine Conference takes place in January 2027 at the University of Zurich. It brings together researchers and clinicians working on multimodal assessment of speech, language, and reading for medical diagnostics and interventions. Registration and abstract submission are open now.
The Competence Centre Language & Medicine Zürich, led by Nathalie Giroud and Lena Jäger, is organising the first international Language & Medicine Conference, taking place on 14 and 15 January 2027 at the University of Zurich (Rämistrasse 71).
About the conference
The conference focuses on the multimodal assessment of speech, language, and reading for medical diagnostics and interventions. It brings together researchers and clinicians to explore advances in multimodal mechanisms and assessment, including reading, across settings such as the lab, the clinic, and patient-doctor interactions. With growing emphasis on integrating multimodal data (neurophysiology, peripheral physiology, speech, eye movements, and other visual language markers), the event looks at how novel methods and computational tools are changing clinical assessment, as well as how speech, text, and visual means support medical documentation.
The aim is to identify what is needed for more accurate diagnoses and more effective interventions in developmental disorders (e.g. dyslexia, autism, ADHD), psychiatric disorders (e.g. psychosis, depression, suicidality), and neurocognitive disorders (e.g. dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery), as well as in medical documentation. Attendees will take part in poster and plenary presentations and discussions covering new methodologies, real-world clinical applications, and future directions of AI-powered, multimodal evaluation of speech, language, and reading in (pre)clinical populations.
Confirmed speakers
- Sonja Kotz (Maastricht University)
- Katharina Schultebraucks (NYU Grossman School of Medicine)
- Janna Hastings (Idiap Research Institute)
- Usha Goswami (University of Cambridge)
- Antoni Rodríguez-Fornells (ICREA and Universitat de Barcelona)
- Ina Kodrasi (Idiap Research Institute)
- Marina Laganaro (University of Geneva)
Abstract submission and registration
Abstracts of up to 300 words can be submitted until 25 October 2026. Decisions will be communicated by 15 November 2026. Registration is open until 30 November 2026. Presenting authors must register. Registration and abstract submission are two separate forms.
Travel grants
A limited number of travel grants of up to CHF 500 are available for early career researchers presenting at the conference, awarded on the basis of abstract quality. Interest is indicated in the abstract submission form, so no separate application is needed.
Further information
Registration, abstract submission, and all details on venue, accommodation, and travel are on the conference website.
