Bernard Thébaud
Bernard Thébaud Dr Bernard ThébaudSenior Scientist, Regenerative Medicine, Ottawa Hospital, Research Institute & CHEO Research Institute; Neonatologist, Division of Neonatology, The Ottawa Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario; Professor of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa; Partnership Research Chair in Regenerative Medicine, University of Ottawa; Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Lung Stem Cell Biology and Regeneration (Canada) Session: Cell based therapies in animal studies – Wednesday 14 May (1.30-3pm) Bernard Thébaud is a clinician-scientist with a focus on the clinical translation of stem cell-based and gene therapies for lung diseases. He is a senior scientist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and a neonatologist with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, providing care to critically ill newborns. He is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Ottawa, uOttawa Partnership Research Chair in Regenerative Medicine and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Lung Stem Cell Biology and…
Valéry van Bruggen
Valéry van Bruggen Valéry van BruggenPhysician – Clinical Investigator Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, MosaKids Children’s Hospital, Maastricht (The Netherlands) Session: Imaging modalities – Thursday 15 May (12.30-2pm) Valéry van Bruggen studied Biomedical Sciences at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen followed by the research master physician-clinical investigator. Since 2020 she has been working with the department of paediatrics, exploring new therapeutic strategies for children born preterm and focusing on functional outcomes over time. As a medical doctor and PhD student she aims to bridge the gap between bench and bedside for vulnerable neonates.
Stefanie Obst
Stefanie Obst Stefanie ObstPhD studentDepartment of Paediatrics I, Neonatology and Experimental perinatal Neurosciences, Centre for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences (C-TNBS), University Hospital Essen (Germany) Session: Novel and innovative approaches to screening – Tuesday 13 May (2-3.30pm) Stefanie Obst completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Molecular Biology with a focus on experimental research in perinatal neuroscience. During her Master’s degree, she studied an experimental hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy model equivalent to term infants under the supervision of Dr Josephine Herz. For her PhD, she extended her expertise to the preterm stage. She is currently working under the supervision of Professor Ivo Bendix on the establishment of a combined model of hyperoxia-induced developmental brain and lung injury in neonatal rats. This model allows the study of the lung-brain axis and testing therapeutic approaches for both affected organs simultaneously.
Meray Serdar
Meray Serdar Dr Meray SerdarPostdoctoral Researcher Department of Pediatrics I/Neonatology & Experimental Perinatal Neurosciences, University Hospital Essen (Germany) Session: Cell based therapies in animal studies – Wednesday 14 May (1.30-3pm) Meray Serdar studied biochemistry and completed a master’s degree in electrophysiology. In 2012, she began her PhD at the Department of Pediatrics I/Neonatology & Experimental Perinatal Neurosciences at University Hospital Essen, under the supervision of Professor Ivo Bendix and Professor Ursula Felderhoff-Müser. Their research investigated hyperoxia-induced preterm brain injury and the effects of fingolimod in vivo and in vitro. Since 2017, Meray has been a postdoctoral researcher in the same lab, focusing on developing a clinically relevant experimental model for preterm brain injury, incorporating prenatal inflammation and postnatal hyperoxia. Their current research examines the potential of intranasal mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy as a treatment.
Courtney McDonald
Courtney McDonald Dr Courtney McDonaldNHMRC EL2 Investigator The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research (Australia) Session: Using large animal translational models and how to do it better – Wednesday 14 May (8.30-10am) Courtney McDonald is an NHMRC EL2 Investigator and leads the Cell Therapies and Neuroinflammation Research Group at The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research. Courtney’s research has generated new knowledge in how cell therapies work to reduce brain injury. Courtney has shown that different cell therapies, including umbilical cord blood (UCB), mesenchymal stromal cells and amnion epithelial cells (AECs) are effective therapies for brain injury in small and large animal models of perinatal brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and spinal disc repair. Courtney’s preclinical research has been the basis for four ongoing clinical trials at Monash Health using umbilical cord blood cells highlighting the translational impact of her research.
Sanne Claassen
Sanne Claassen Dr Sanne ClaassenPhD studentDepartment of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Center+, MosaKids Children’s Hospital, Maastricht (The Netherlands) Session: Using large animal translational models and how to do it better – Wednesday 14 May (8.30-10am) Sanne Claassen is a medical doctor and PhD student in the Pediatric Department at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. The paediatric lab of Tim Wolfs focuses on innovative therapies for children born with a challenging start in life. During her PhD, she will explore the role of the immune system in prenatal brain injury and the therapeutic effects of stem cells in the context of perinatal inflammatory stress.
Enrique Conches
Enrique Conches Enrique ConchesCreative Innovation LeaderFounder, Punk Design (Spain) Session: Learnings from co-creation: involving external stakeholders in research – Thursday 15 May (8.30-10am) Enrique Conches is the founder of Punk Design, where he leads projects that ignite Innovation Culture and equips teams to overcome Friction through bold, Human-Centred strategies. An expert in Design Thinking, Enrique served for nearly 7 years as a Course Facilitator at IDEO U, created by IDEO—the originators of the methodology. He is also a graduate of the prestigious Stanford LEAD program in Leadership and Innovation Strategy. For almost 25 years, Enrique has helped start-ups, research consortia, and global organisations turn complexity into clarity— blending creativity, strategy, and play to make innovation not just possible—but inevitable.
Alishia Ballintine
Alishia Ballintine Alishia BallintinePatient/parent representative (Australia) Session: Learnings from co-creation: involving external stakeholders in research – Thursday 15 May (8.30-10am) Alishia Ballintine is a passionate patient and consumer advocate committed to advancing patient partnerships in medical development. Her advocacy is deeply personal, driven by her youngest daughter’s experience as a late preterm baby who suffered a perinatal stroke, resulting in right hemiplegic cerebral palsy and epilepsy. This experience fuels Alishia’s dedication to seeing novel regenerative therapies emerge in the field of neurodevelopmental injury. Professionally, Alishia leads consumer advisor and partnership initiatives within clinical trial research, ensuring that patient perspectives are central to the process. She is also a regulatory lawyer at a world-class clinical trial centre, where she combines her legal expertise with her commitment to see impactful research translation and drug development. Throughout her career, Alishia has gained extensive knowledge of the complex ethics and regulatory processes that shape…
Sidhartha Tan
Sidhartha Tan Dr Sidhartha TanProfessor of PediatricsWayne State University (USA) Session: Novel and innovative approaches to screening – Tuesday 13 May (2-3.30pm) Dr Sidhartha Tan is presently Leslie Helppie Endowed Professor in Urban Health, Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine. His research focuses on Big Data analytics in neonatal intensive care, advanced neonatal nursing, olfactory memory testing, neuroimaging, neuroprotective drugs, and neonatology education. His basic science research explores mechanisms of brain injury in newborns, with his lab continuously funded since 1992, currently holding three NIH R01 grants. Using rabbit models of cerebral palsy, his work investigates hypoxia-ischemia at various gestational ages, mimicking acute placental insufficiency. His studies examine free radicals, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, grey and white matter injury, oligodendroglial damage, brain cell death, and epigenetics. He has also pioneered MRI biomarkers to predict motor deficits in foetuses and developed the first transgenic knockout and knock-in…
Gaurav Verma
Gaurav Verma Dr Gaurav VermaResearcherUniversity of Gothenburg (Sweden) Session: In vitro studies of stem cell activities – Thursday 15 May (10.30am-12pm) Gaurav Verma is a passionate researcher specialising in mitochondrial biology and bioenergetics, with a focus on mitochondrial function in neurological disorders. Gaurav’s current work explores mitochondrial transplantation in brain injury models, investigating how transplanted mitochondria can restore cellular respiration and support neuronal recovery. By analysing oxygen consumption rates (OCR) in isolated mitochondria using Seahorse Flux Analyser, his aim is to unravel new insights into mitochondrial metabolism and neuroprotection, paving the way for potential therapeutic strategies. Beyond his research, Gaurav has contributed to the scientific community through a recently published book chapter with IntechOpen, titled Fundamentals of Stem Cells and Application in Complex Disorders. His interdisciplinary interests extend to forensic science and clinical trials, reflecting a deep curiosity for scientific discovery. Driven by a commitment to advancing mitochondrial research, Gaurav…