Plenary Opening Session

The Plenary Opening session will be on Thursday September 4 at 9AM (or 9:00). The confirmed speakers are:

Maryam Blumenthal

Welcome Speech
Maryam Blumenthal, Hamburg’s senator for science, research and equality: “Taking a stance for tolerance and diversity means standing up whenever transgender people are discriminated. As a senator both responsible for science as well as equality, I am very proud that Hamburg is hosting the 6th conference of the European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH). Because transgender health research is a discipline that shows how science can make a difference in our society. We are very happy to welcome so many experts from all over the world to exchange ideas and approaches from various disciplines. I wish to thank everyone who made this conference possible. Welcome to Hamburg!”

Asa Radix

Transgender Health at a Crossroads: Global Challenges and the Role of Evidence-Based Care
The provision of transgender health care is increasingly shaped by sociopolitical forces, with significant implications for clinical practice, policy, and research. In recent years, several countries, including the United States,have seen a marked rise in legislative and regulatory efforts that restrict access to gender-affirming care, particularly for adolescents. These developments have created uncertainty for providers, patients, and institutions, and have highlighted the critical importance of a consistent, evidence-informed approach to transgender health.
This plenary presentation will examine the current global landscape of transgender care, with a focus on the evolving legal, ethical, and clinical contexts. Drawing on international experience and the work of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, including the development of the Standards of Care Version 8, this talk will explore how evidence-based frameworks can guide best practices and policy in a rapidly changing environment. 
Bio
Asa Radix, MD, PhD, MPH, FIDSA, FACP

Dr. Asa Radix is Executive Vice President of Research and Education at Callen-Lorde Community Health Centre and a Clinical Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Asa has over 20 years’ experience providing care to trans and gender diverse adults. He integrates clinical, academic, and policy expertise to advance equitable healthcare for trans populations globally. His research focuses on transgender health, HIV and STI prevention, and healthcare disparities, with particular emphasis on developing and implementing culturally competent care models to improve healthcare engagement among marginalized populations.

Asa has served on multiple national and international guideline development committees in transgender health, including as Co-Chair of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care Version 8. Since 2024, he has served as President of WPATH, with a goal to expand access to evidence-based, affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on transgender health and HIV care, making significant contributions to the evidence base that informs clinical practice. Asa’s work has been recognized with several awards, including the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute’s Dr. Linda Laubenstein HIV Clinical Excellence Award and the WPATH Gold Medal, the organization’s highest honour for lifetime contributions to transgender health. In 2024, Asa became editor-in-chief of Transgender Health.

Originally from the West Indies, Asa completed residency training in internal medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Connecticut, followed by doctoral training in epidemiology at Columbia University.

Marcus Altfeld

Modulation of Immunity by Steroid Hormones and its Implications for Transgender Health

The immune system mediates protection from infections and cancers, but can also cause autoimmune diseases. Steroid hormones play an important role in regulating the function of the immune system, and contribute to differences in immune responses observed between individuals assigned female or male at birth. For example, cisgender females can mount stronger immune responses against many pathogens and vaccines, resulting in superior control of infections, but also exhibit an enhanced risk to develop autoimmune diseases compared to cisgender males. The mechanisms underlying these sex-specific differences in immune function are increasingly well understood, and studies using animal models and in humans have identified immune pathways that are regulated by steroid hormones, in particular testosterone and estrogen. Gender-affirming hormone therapies (GAHT) in transgender individuals can therefore regulate immune responses against pathogens and vaccines, and also impact the manifestations of autoimmune diseases. Recent studies in individuals receiving GAHT have shown that testosterone treatment reduces innate Type I interferon responses in transgender men, with consequences for antiviral immunity, while GAHT in transgender men can also result in a reduction of symptoms of autoimmune diseases, such as autoimmune hepatitis. In contrast, suppression of testosterone and enhanced estrogen levels during GAHT in transgender women have been associated with an elevated incidence of autoimmune diseases, such as lupus erythematosus, and more severe disease manifestations of autoimmune diseases. A better understanding of the effects of GAHT on the functioning of the immune system in transgender individuals is therefore important to provide optimal health care.   

Bio
Prof. Marcus Altfeld is a Professor of Immunology at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and serves as the director of the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV). His laboratory studies antiviral immune responses, and the mechanisms that enable the immune system to control viral infections. In particular, Prof. Altfeld’s research focuses on the mechanisms by which steroid hormones and genes encoded by the X and Y chromosome regulate innate and adaptive immunity during infections and autoimmune diseases. Prof. Altfeld studied Medicine in Cologne and Paris, did his post-doctoral training in London and Boston, and joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School in 2003. In 2013, he was recruited to the LIV in Hamburg. Since 2017, he serves as the director of the Institute of Immunology at the UKE and since 2024 as the scientific director of the LIV.