Drug Development from Bench to Bedside @UZ Gent

Thursday 23 April 2026

• 12.00 | Registration with light lunch
   
• 13.00 | Welcome  - Prof. Dr. Petra De Sutter, Rector, Ghent University
• 13.15  | Introduction of uterus transplantation from the deceased donor: A multidisciplinary effort - Prof. Dr. Steven Weyers, Ghent University Hospital
• 13.35 | Real-world data: Insights from the GLORIA project - Prof. Dr. Lies Lahousse, CRIG, Ghent University
• 14.05 | ERDERA: solving rare diseases by genomic reanalysis - Prof. Dr. Bruce Poppe, Ghent University Hospital
   
• 14.35 | Coffee break & visit exhibitors
   
• 15.05 | From Bench to Baby: Emerging technologies shaping the future of IVF - Prof. Dr. Björn Heindryckx, Ghent University
• 15.25 | Artificial Intelligence from language models to copiloting medicine - Prof. Dr. Steven Callens, Ghent University Hospital
• 15.55 | Current and future ethical challenges in drug development - Prof. Dr. Kasper Raus, Ghent University Hospital
   
• 16.25 | Wrap up day 1 and closing word - Dr. Philippe Van Rompaey, Ghent University Hospital
• 16.40 | End day 1 & networking drink
   

Friday 24 April 2026

• 08.30 | Registration with coffee
   
• 09.00 | Welcome - Prof. Dr. Frank Vermassen, Managing Director,  Ghent University Hospital
• 09.15  | Phase I studies in healthy volunteers - Dr. Griet Van Lancker, Ghent University Hospital
• 09.45 | Launch of a UGent/UZGent Centre of Excellence for Clinical pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy - Prof. Dr. Apr. Pieter De Cock, Ghent University & Ghent University Hospital
• 10.15  | Translational PK: Microdialysis, microsampling and tissue PK studies in pediatrics - Dr. Eline Hermans, Ghent       University
   
• 10.45 | Coffee break & visit exhibitors
   
• 11.15 | Impact of the Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR) and Medical Device Regulation (MDR) - Laura Persijn and Lieselot       Burggraeve, Ghent University Hospital
• 11.45 | Developing a National Clinical Trial Network: Lessons from the Trial Nation Model - Kirsten Bødker, Trial Nation     Denmark
• 12.15 | When One Isn’t Enough: A Search for Synergy in Rhabdomyosarcoma Therapy - Dr. Deyna Keppens, Ghent University
   
• 12.45 | Networking lunch & visit exhibitors
   
• 13.45 | Decentralised Clinical Trials in practice: Experience with ‘flying’ nurses - Eline Van den Bosch, Vaccinopolis,     University of Antwerp
• 13.55 | Decentralised Clinical Trials - Prof. Audrey Van Scharen, University Hospital Brussels
• 14.15 | The Pharmacological Revolution in Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases: Opportunities and Threaths - Prof. Dr. Filip Van den Bosch, Ghent University Hospital
• 14.45 | New developments in the perioperative treatment of bladder cancer - Dr. Camille Berquin, Ghent University Hospital
• 15.05 | Beyond hospital walls: National learning from B.OSS and BAMM - Dr. Griet Vandenberghe, Ghent University Hospital
• 15.25 | D.R.U.G. 25 years: A trip down memory lane - Prof. Dr. Em. Luc Van Bortel, Ghent University
• 15.45 | Wrap up Symposium 2026 and closing word - Prof. Dr. Sylvie Rottey, Ghent University Hospital
   
• 16.00 | End Symposium 2026 & Farewell reception

Sponsors

Thank you to the sponsors: 

• Astellas, Testo, Deltaclinical (gold)
• GSK (silver)
• Amgen, AstraZeneca, BMS, IQVIA, Johnson & Johnson innovative medicine, MSD, Roche (bronze)