RBSCDB Autumn meeting on ATMP
The two-day Autumn RBSCDB meeting will focus on Cellular and Molecular Biology of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs).
Current and Future Challenges?
Date: November 13 & 14, 2025
Location: The Thermotechnical Institute - Castel Arenberg, Leuven
Organizing committee: Dhanu GUPTA (University of Oxford, UK and Karolinska, Sweden), Christophe PIERREUX (UCLouvain, Belgium), Peter PONSAERTS (UAntwerpen, Belgium), Pascale ZIMMERMANN (KULeuven, Belgium and CRCMarseille, France)
Program
Available here soon.
Confirmed speakers
- Eva LION (UAntwerp, Belgium): From cells to ATMPs
- Bart GEERS (KU Leuven, Belgium): Product development, innovation, translation in ATMPs
- Claudio MUSSOLINO (U Freiburg, Germany): Genome and Epigenome Engineering
- Stephan SANDERS (U Oxford, United Kingdom): Therapeutic Genomics
- Erwin VAN WYK (Radboud U, the Netherlands): ASO-based treatments for otogenetic disorders: opportunities & challenges
- Aurélie GOYENVALLE (INSERM Versailles, France): ASOs for neuromuscular disorders
- Rik GIJSBERS (KU Leuven, Belgium): Retroviral vectors and viral-like particles for model building and gene therapy
- Luk VANDENBERGHE (U Harvard, USA): Engineering Adeno-Associated viruses
- Julie TORDO (UCB, Belgium): Translational development of AAV gene therapy, successes and challenges.
- Samir El ANDALOUSSI (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden): Engineered Extracellular Vesicles for Therapeutic Applications
- Stefaan DE SMEDT (UGent, Belgium): Nanomedicines Facing the Pharmaceutical Reality
- Anne DESRIEUX (UC Louvain, Belgium): Nose-to-Brain Delivery: A Promising Strategy for Targeting the Central Nervous System
- Niek SANDERS (UGent, Belgium): Challenges and breakthroughs in mRNA-based gene therapy
- Dhanu GUPTA (U Oxford): ‘Scientific Challenges’?
- Isabelle HUYS (KU Leuven) & Jan SCHROOTEN (Antleron): ‘Manufacturing and Early Clinical and Manufacturing Challenges’?
- Lize SELS (U Antwerp) & Els DE HONDT (de 9de van…): Patient-academia collaboration - tackling human Gene Therapy in the mouse
Sponsors
Supported by The research Foundation Flanders "FWO"
Awards
Short talks will be selected from submitted abstracts and prizes will be awarded to the best posters.
Registration
Abstract submission deadline: October 25, 2025
Registration deadline: October 25, 2025
Hotels in Leuven
Close to Thermotechnisch institute:
- The Lodge
5min walk
Address: Kantineplein 1, 3001 Heverlee
Website: https://www.lodge-hotels.be/nl/hotels/b/the-lodge-heverlee-1
Close to Leuven station
From Leuven station, you can take several busses (2 and 12) to our meeting place in Heverlee.
- IBIS budget
Address: Martelarenlaan 10, 3010 Leuven
Website: https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-6682-ibis-budget-leuven-centrum/ - Hotel Malon
Address: Martelarenplein 15, 3000 Leuven
Website: http://hotelmalon.be/ - Hotel Industrie
Address: Martelarenplein 7, 3000 Leuven
Website: https://www.hotel-industrie.be/en/ - Hotel Mille colonnes
Address: Martelarenplein 5, 3000 Leuven
Website: https://hotelmillecolonnes.be/ - Hotel La royale
Address: Martelarenplein 6, 3000 Leuven
Website: https://lodge-hotels.be/nl/hotels/b/la-royale-leuven - Park Inn by Radisson
Address: Martelarenlaan 36, 3010 Leuven
Website: https://www.radissonhotels.com/nl-nl/hotels/park-inn-leuven - Theater Hotel Leuven Centrum
Address: Bondgenotenlaan 20, 3000 Leuven
Website https://www.guestreservations.com/theater-hotel-leuven-centrum/booking
Route description to Thermotechnisch Institute
3001 Heverlee
From the airport:
From Brussels National Airport, you can easily reach Leuven by train (3 trains/hour). On the website you can check the departures of the trains https://www.belgiantrain.be/en. You need to change to a bus at Leuven station. The following buses ride to Heverlee from Leuven station:
- 2 direction Leuven-Heverlee
- 12 direction Heverlee campus Arenberg III
The stop is Kasteel Arenberg (or the Kantineplein stop)
By public transport (train and/or bus):
On the following website you can check the departures of the trains https://www.belgiantrain.be/en You need to change to a bus at Leuven station. Plan your bus trip via the app of ‘De lijn’ or on the website: https://www.delijn.be/en/routeplanner/
The following buses go to Heverlee from Leuven station:
- 2 direction Leuven-Heverlee
- 12 direction Heverlee campus Arenberg III
The stop is Kasteel Arenberg (or the Kantineplein stop)
By Taxi
A taxi from the railway station or centre of Leuven will take around 10 minutes.
By car
Address for GPS:
Parking Kapeldreef
Kapeldreef 75
3001 Heverlee
Code to enter the parking: 39155#
- Coming from the centre of Leuven
Go to the cross-roads 'Naamse Poort' on the ring around Leuven.
Turn southwards (at the Total service station).
The road immediately splits in two, go right.
That is the 'Kardinaal Mercierlaan', follow this lane lined with chestnut trees for about one kilometre until you reach the 'Kantineplein', a cross-roads square. Enter the park immediately to your right (watch out for bikers).
- By car coming from Brussels or Liege
Take the highway E40 (Brussels - Liege).
Take the exit E314 / Leuven (no. 15).
Keep to the right and follow the sign “Leuven” (leave the E314).
Turn right at the third traffic lights (direction Campus Arenberg, this is the Celestijnenlaan). Drive on for about 500 m.
- By car coming from Hasselt / Eindhoven / Aachen
Take the highway E314 (Aachen - Leuven).
Take the exit “Leuven” (no. 15). This is the last exit before the E40.
Turn right at the third traffic lights (direction Campus Arenberg, this is the Celestijnenlaan).
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