Research about you should include you.
You’re more than a data point. Saena connects you with health studies, gives you the information you need to make your own decision, and puts you at the centre of the conversation to shape research itself.
Why this matters
If you’re not in the study, you might not be in the results.
Medical research shapes the treatments, devices and care we have today — and the healthcare we’ll have tomorrow. But research can only answer questions about people who are represented in it.
Older adults. Women. People living with multiple conditions or disabilities. People who speak different languages. When people are missing from research, we know less about what works for them.
Taking part in research helps build that evidence. By participating, you have a say in what we learn and what healthcare looks like for everyone it affects.
What's difficult today
Most people never hear about the studies they could take part in.
Here’s what we’ve heard:
Hidden.
Studies are advertised on university websites, notice boards and mailing lists you'd have to already know about.
Complex.
Study descriptions use professional and academic language, making it difficult to know if a study fits you.
Vague.
It's often unclear what you're actually agreeing to: how much time it takes, how often you'd need to travel, or what happens to your data.
Forgotten.
And once a study ends, most participants never hear what came of it.
None of this is because researchers don't care. It's because there has never been a good way to connect them with the people who could benefit from (and contribute to) their work.
What we stand for
We believe research should feel like a conversation, not a transaction.
You decide.
Nothing happens without your agreement. You can change your mind at any time, without explaining why.
Plain language, always.
If you need a medical dictionary to understand it, we haven't done our job.
Your time is worth something.
We'll be honest about what a study asks of you, and we won't waste your time with studies you can't join.
Accessible by default.
Saena is built from the start with accessibility in mind: for screen readers, for people who need more time, and for people who find dense text hard to process.
Your data stays yours.
We don't sell your information. You choose what you share and with whom, and you can withdraw it.
Research is a conversation.
Not a transaction, and not a favour you do for scientists.
What you get from Saena
Studies you can find.
One place to discover health studies looking for participants, instead of hoping one finds you.
Language you can understand.
Every study is described in plain language: what it's about, what you'd be asked to do, and who it's looking for.
The full picture before you decide.
Know what taking part involves: how much time it takes, where you'd need to go, whether travel or time is covered, and what happens to your data.
An answer at the end.
You should hear what a study found, not just what it needed from you. We're building that into Saena from the start.
A say in what happens next.
Saena is being shaped together with people living with health conditions and disabilities. Your experience is expertise, and it belongs in the conversation.
Where we are right now
We're building this with people, not for them.
Saena is being developed in Zurich together with people living with chronic conditions and disabilities, patient organisations, and research groups at UZH and ETH.
We're not live yet. Right now, we're listening: what would make you trust a platform like this? What has put you off taking part in research in the past? And what would you want to know before deciding to say yes?
If you'd like to help shape Saena, we'd like to hear from you.
Get involved
Three ways to be part of this
Join the waitlist. Be among the first to hear when studies go live. No commitment, and you can leave at any time.
Share your experience. Tell us what taking part in research has been like for you – good, bad, or somewhere in between. 30 minutes, at a time that suits you.
Join our advisory group. Help decide how Saena works, from the words we use to how consent is handled.
Or reach out directly
contact@wearesaena.ch