Group Jaric

The group has two main focuses: 1) exploring the link between stress, female reproductive health, and psychiatric disorders, and 2) developing evidence-based guidelines to enhance the current sex as a biological variable (SABV) initiative in rodent research, thereby improving its translational validity.

We use mouse models and integrate a multidisciplinary approach that brings together a diverse range of tools and methodologies. Our work combines behavioral testing, comprehensive hormonal profiling, classical molecular techniques, qualitative and quantitative histological analyses, and cutting-edge multi-omics approaches—including epigenomics, genomics, and transcriptomics—alongside advanced computational methods.

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disorder affecting up to 15% of women of reproductive age and 50% of those experiencing infertility. While hallmark symptoms such as severe chronic pelvic pain, debilitating menstrual pain, and fatigue are well recognized, emerging evidence suggests a potential link between endometriosis and depression. Our research seeks to elucidate this connection using a translationally relevant mouse model. Specifically, we aim to determine whether depression in individuals with endometriosis arises from the disease itself, the hormonal therapies used as first-line treatment, or a combination of both, and to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. By doing so, we aim to identify the affected molecular pathways, laying the foundation for future research into their pharmacological modulation and the development of targeted treatments for depression in endometriosis patients.

Hormonal contraceptives are among the most commonly prescribed classes of drugs in the world. Despite their prevalent use for both contraceptive and a wide range of non-contraceptive purposes (such as reducing dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia, managing acne, regulating menstrual cycles, and treating endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome), relatively little is known about their impact on the brain and behavior. We are interested in investigating whether oral contraceptive use poses a specific risk of developing mood disorders. Additionally, in light of the recent rise in sex- and gender-related variables being studied in neuroscience, driven by the NIH's Sex as a Biological Variable (SABV) initiative, we will investigate whether the use of oral contraceptives influences the ability to detect sex differences.

For decades, female subjects have been neglected in rodent research, leading to oversights in crucial sex differences, translational failures, and the consequential waste and/or suffering of animals used for inconclusive research. In response, major funders now mandate the inclusion of sex as a biological variable (SABV) in all animal experiments. However, including females prompts consideration of accounting for sex hormone fluctuation, a crucial determinant of female health outcomes. Despite the known impact of sex hormones, which vary significantly across the rodent estrous cycle (similarly to the human menstrual cycle), on a range of biological functions, this variable is largely ignored due to practical limitations. These include potential animal stress during smearing, time-consuming procedures, the lack of standardized training sets for estrous cycle determination, resulting in inconsistent classification and hindering reproducibility. Our project aims to: i) promote a minimally invasive method for estrous cycle determination established in our laboratory that combines tunnel handling and vaginal lavage; ii) develop an automated user-friendly method for estrous cycle stage determination using image analysis by deep learning AI. This approach facilitates rapid estrous cycle staging, enhancing investigators' ability to consider endocrine states in rodent studies, improving data interpretability, and advancing our understanding of sex differences.

The EU-SABV COST Action is the first Europe-wide effort dedicated to advancing the integration of Sex as a Biological Variable across biomedical disciplines, providing training resources and enhancing policy to ensure that biological sex is considered and appropriately studied in early-stage health and disease research. As Chair and lead applicant of this initiative, Ivana Jaric leads a growing consortium of researchers committed to building a more sex-inclusive research culture across Europe and beyond. 

More information about the network, its working groups, and ongoing activities can be found at EU-SABV Cost Action

The third edition of the Sex as a Biological Variable (SABV) Biennial Symposium is coming to the University of Zurich on June 23–24, 2026. Founded by Ivana Jaric in 2022 at the University of Bern, the SABV Symposium has grown into an established biennial event bringing together a vibrant and expanding scientific community. Building on the success of the 2022 and 2024 editions, the symposium now moves to Zurich for its third chapter.

For more information, please check the official symposium website www.sabvsymposium.org/

The preliminary program can be found here:SABV Symposium 2026_preliminary program (PDF, 605 KB)
Registration is now open. Registration portal

Abstract submission is open until May 15, 2026. Please send your abstract as a Word document (.docx) to: sabvsymposium2026@gmail.com

The SABV Symposium 2026 is supported by the Philas Foundation and the University of Zurich (UZH). The Symposium and the EU-SABV Core Group Meeting are co-organized by the EU-SABV COST Action (CA24168), the European Initiative to Enhance the Current SABV Policy in Preclinical Biomedical Research, funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). Learn more about the EU-SABV COST Action at action webpage.