Speakers LCRC event
Prof. Dr. Piet Stinissen
Prof. Piet Stinissen is professor of immunology and former dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences at Hasselt University. His research focuses on autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, as well as innovation in healthcare. He is director of the LCRC (Limburg Clinical Research Center), a collaboration between UHasselt and the teaching hospitals ZOL (Genk) and Jessa (Hasselt). In addition, he serves as chairman of the andreaz hospital network, founder of the University MS Center, and co-founder of the Center for the First Line Limburg (CELL). Prof. Stinissen also holds board positions in BioVille, Health Campus Limburg and In4Care. Drawing on this rich background, he will open the event by highlighting the power of collaboration in clinical research and its impact on healthcare innovation.
Dr. David Van Laere
Dr. David Van Laere, pediatrician and Neonatal Intensive Care specialist, is the founder and CEO of Innocens, a medtech spin-off that translates clinical research into concrete solutions for neonatal care. By developing explainable AI tools that detect sepsis in newborns hours earlier than current practice, he demonstrates how medical expertise can be valorised into entrepreneurial innovation with real clinical and societal impact. In his keynote, he will share how bridging research, technology and healthcare practice can lead to successful implementation and improved outcomes for the most vulnerable patients.
Julie Vranken & dr. Inge Thijs
Julie Vranken is Project Coordinator at the Mobile Health Unit, a joint initiative of Hasselt University, ZOL and Jessa Hospital, focusing on research on digital health and hybrid care models.
Inge Thijs contributes in the realm of telemonitoring and remote clinical systems; her work is tied to the development of the Remote Clinical Monitoring Center as part of Health Campus Limburg initiatives.
Together, they will walk the audience through the evolution from the Mobile Health Unit (MHU) to the Remote Clinical Monitoring Center (RCMC), a leap in leveraging mobile and digital technologies to bring care closer to patients and streamline clinician workflows.
Prof. dr. Pieter Martens
Prof. Pieter Martens (MD, MSc, PhD) is a cardiologist at Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (ZOL) in Genk and professor at Hasselt University, LCRC. His research focuses on translating clinical findings in heart failure into practice-changing care. In his presentation, he will outline how the ADVOR study evolved from clinical data into international guidelines, illustrating how rigorous academic research can be valorised into impactful innovation that directly improves patient outcomes on a global scale.
Prof. dr. Jeroen Mebis
Prof. Jeroen Mebis is a medical oncologist at Jessa Hospital and professor at UHasselt, LCRC. He leads oncologic programs and has been actively involved in laser applications in radiotherapy and supportive care (e.g., studies of low-level laser therapy to manage radiation dermatitis).
He will present the innovations driving the Laser Centre, explaining how novel photonic and laser-based therapies transition into clinical implementation, offering less invasive and better tolerated treatment approaches.
Dr. Tina Smets
Dr. Tina Smets is Business Development Manager at the Data Science Institute (DSI), UHasselt, where she leverages her data science expertise to scout valorisation opportunities and guide researchers towards impact. In her talk, she will highlight the PRIBE project, a patented AI-based approach using individual reference intervals, showcasing how data science and clinical research can come together to create innovative healthcare solutions with real patient and societal value.
