Prof. Gian Domenico Borasio, M.D, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, gave the 3rd SMART lecture, on March 28th, 2014 at CeMM. Numerous scientists, clinicians and interested lay people witnessed a fascinating and thought-provoking lecture on “Empathy and Evidence – The Scientific Foundations of Palliative Medicine” followed by a lively forum discussion. Dr. Borasio, who is a leader in the science and implementation of modern palliative medicine started his talk by acknowledging the pioneering work of Dame Cicely Saunders followed by a detailed discussion of fundamental questions and concepts of ‘quality of life’ and ‘personal values’ and concluded with an outlook on the many barriers that still need to be overcome towards a general implementation of a palliative approach for a more sustainable healthcare system of the future. We thank Gian Domenico Borasio for his inspiring presentation.