Talks at Femi Festival 8 March, 12:00–13:00

International Family presents two talks where a researcher and an author explore women’s perspectives and experiences through their respective fields.

Hande Topel, PhD
Title: Sex and Gender Gaps in Biomedical Research  (in English)

Hande Topel is a biomedical scientist focusing on the molecular mechanisms of metabolic diseases and the discovery of treatment strategies, with a background in reproductive biology and a strong interest in sex-aware and equity-driven research design.

In this talk, she will guide the audience through the interconnected sex and gender gaps in biomedical research: from biological underrepresentation in experimental and clinical studies to structural biases that shape research priorities and scientific knowledge production. The session will explore how these gaps influence current health outcomes, often limiting women’s health perspectives and bodily autonomy.

Gül Özen, Author
Title: “How Do Women Authors Write? (A brief look into the routines of Virginia Woolf and Ursula K. Le Guin.)” (in English)

Gül Özen completed her Master’s degree in Political Science in Vienna in 2015 with a thesis titled “Collective Violence and the Imagination of the Nation-State: A Case Study of Kurds in Turkey.”

She has published translations and articles on culture and politics in journals based in Helsinki and Germany, and worked for one year as a reporter at a local newspaper in Germany. After starting training in Systemic Therapy, she later moved to Denmark.

Many of her short stories and literary critiques have been published in literary magazines. Her debut psychological thriller was published by a London- and Istanbul-based publisher. She is currently completing her education as a Pedagogical Assistant in Denmark, writes weekly political commentaries for Politik İnşa in Turkey, and contributes regularly to a literature and arts magazine.