VUB/UZ Brussel UMCOR’s Post

Put your hands together for our #WednesdayWinners! 🥇   In March, the annual European Society of Molecular Imaging (#EMIM2025) meeting took place in Bilbao, Spain, with over 1,000 participants—the largest international conference in this field. Around 15 VUB researchers affiliated to MITH Brussel attended the conference, with Prof. Nick Devoogdt serving on the scientific board. Dr. Timo De Groof was elected chair of the Onco-Immunology and Therapy study group for the next two years, while several team members chaired scientific sessions.   🎉 Four MITH Brussel researchers won prestigious poster awards, highlighting cutting-edge molecular imaging research: Evelyn Calderon Espinosa: S100A9 plays a cell-specific role in the bone marrow-lung cancer crosstalk. Sam Floru, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO)-fellow: Validation of a fluorescently-labeled anti-CEA Nanobody in an in vivo radiation-induced fibrotic colorectal tumor model. dr. Kirsten De Ridder: Mapping of the tumor autonomic innervation during murine lung cancer progression. dr. Łukasz Mateusiak: Breaking the Nanosecond Barrier: Antibody-based tumor imaging with extended-lifetime fluorescent tracers – A promise for enhanced multiplexing.   🎉 Another major recognition goes to Dr. Silke François, MD in Gastroenterology, for receiving the Best Original Manuscript award from Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica. Her study, comparing two leading Helicobacter pylori eradication therapies in Belgium, showed suboptimal eradication rates in both groups with no significant improvement in the bismuth-based group. These results question the cost-effectiveness of this expensive non-reimbursed treatment and confirm the need of nationwide monitoring of resistance patterns.   Congratulations to all! 👏   #VUBhealthcampus #UMCOR #UMCORcommunity #healthresearch