RMU at the Utrecht Science Week 2024

From September 27 until October 6, the Utrecht Science Week 2024 took place: a week full of fascinating and inspiring lectures and events. The Regenerative Medicine Utrecht community was well represented during this successful week. Below you will find a brief recap of our events.

Symposium 'Beyond Animal Testing in Biomedical Science'

Credit: Seth Carnill

On Friday September 27, speakers including prof. dr. Daniela Salvatori and prof. Joost Sluijter spoke at the interactive symposium 'Beyond Animal Testing in Biomedical Science'. Together with the participants, they explored what a future without animal testing could look like, and what is needed to get to that point.

Betweter Festival art installation 'The Organoid'

Credit: Betweter Festival (www.betweterfestival.nl)

On the evening of September 27, the annual Betweter Festival took place at Tivoli Vredenburg. One of the art installations at the event was 'The Organoid', developed by Dream3D lab (Princess Máxima Center), artists Breukers & Godrie, and immersive designer Shosho. The art project invited the visitor into an immerse experience where they learned about organoids and their relevance for future science. 

Ziekenhuis van de Toekomst

Credit: Seth Carnill

On Tuesday October 1st, the 'Ziekenhuis van de Toekomst' (Hospital of the Future) opened at the UMC Utrecht, where impressive presentations and demos were given on the latest innovative cell techniques, which accelerate healing and recovery. If you want to know more about the topics discussed during this evening, you can read this article on our website.

Animales lecture - 'Better science with fewer laboratory animals: a techno-moral revolution'

On October 3rd, prof. dr. Daniela Salvatori was the speaker for the Animales lecture 'Better science with fewer laboratory animals: a techno-moral revolution'. The session included demonstrations and presentations on animal-free innovations.

Team Neo-BRAIN receives second UMC Utrecht Team Science Award

Team Neo-BRAIN has received the second UMC Utrecht Team Science Award for interdisciplinary research. Manon Benders and Cora Nijboer received the prize on behalf of the team. Neo-BRAIN receives the award for its research into the prevention and treatment of brain damage in newborn babies in intensive care. There are no effective treatment options available for these babies. After 14 years of research in collaboration between the Developmental Origins of Disease (DDOD) department and the Neonatology department, a breakthrough keeps coming closer. The internationally renowned preclinical and clinical teams have joined forces to develop an innovative stem cell therapy that can repair the damaged brains of newborns and thus offer hope to these vulnerable patients and their families.

Keynote Lecture Jos Malda: 'The success of collaboration: team science in practice'

Credit: Thomas Dobber

Also on October 3rd, Jos Malda gave his keynote lecture on Team Science. How does team science contribute to interdisciplinary collaboration within scientific research? And how does it influence innovation and creativity within research projects? During this lecture, Jos Malda discussed his team's experiences from different levels and engages with table guests to discuss different perspectives.

Weekend van de Wetenschap

Credit: Thijs Rooimans Fotografie

The Utrecht Science Week concluded with the Weekend van de Wetenschap ('Weekend of Science'), on Sunday October 6th. During this event, over 700 people of all ages visited the collaboration of RMU with the Hubrecht Institute and the Westerdijk Institute for experiments, workshops and interesting conversations about the latest developments in science. At the RMU stands, they could learn about stem cells, bioprinting, organoids, and 3D technologies used to improve healthcare.

Thank you to all speakers, volunteers and participants who made this week so special and interesting. We hope to see you next year!

For a complete look back at the Utrecht Science Week, visit the USW website