It’s always an event when we spend time together

Dr. Jens Puschhof is principal investigator of the Epithelium Microbiome Interactions Laboratory at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany. His group studies the role of microenvironmental factors in colorectal carcinogenesis using organoid- and organ-on-a-chip co-cultures. Dr. Puschhof graduated with an MSc in Oncology from the University of Oxford and obtained his PhD with highest distinctions from Utrecht University. During his PhD and postdoc in Hans Clevers’s group at the Hubrecht Institute, he and his colleagues developed organoid models of the snake venom gland and made seminal contributions to the understanding microbial impacts on colorectal cancer development. 

Dr Stefaan Verbruggen is an Assistant Professor of Medical Technology at Queen Mary University of London, and a Group Leader at Queen Mary’s Centre for Predictive in vitro Models. A recent Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at Columbia University in New York, he is also a member of the BioMed Engineering Association, the European Society of Biomechanics, the European Association for Cancer Research, and the UK Organ-on-a-Chip Network. 

Dr. Verbruggen’s group works to build representative computational and Organ-on-a-Chip models of metastatic breast and prostate cancer. In particular, his work focuses on replicating the microenvironment within metastatic lesions in bone tissue. Current animal models cannot fully mimic metastatic bone disease in vivo, and therefore multi-organ microphysiological systems present an opportunity for both fundamental discovery science and therapeutic testing to identify new targets for metastatic cancers. 

For over 20 years, I’ve been fighting cancer head-on, using my skills in medicine, statistics, and research. I started out in clinics, getting solid experience in treating patients. Then I moved up to lead global teams in drug development and medical at big pharma companies, always trying to find better ways to treat cancer.​

I’ve worked on some insightful projects over the years.. At Pfizer, I helped launch Sutent for kidney and neuroendocrine cancers. When I was at GSK, I developed cancer vaccines in GI and GU cancers. More recently my journey led me to my role at Novartis, contributing to advancements in treatments for blood and GI cancers. ​

Throughout my career, I’ve always continued exploring new ways to innovate in cancer research. Modulating the Microbiome is what I see as the next big thing, and I’m proud to be part of this cutting-edge field.​

I guess you understand it now, I won’t stop until we’ve turned this challenging disease into something we can cure in all settings. But it’s not all work – I make sure to enjoy life too. I love spending time with my family. They’re the reason I work so hard. I’m a big sports fan, I like eating healthy, and nothing beats hanging out with my wife and two kids. They remind me every day why my job matters so much.

• Bachelors and Masters at University of Cambridge in 2010.
• PhD at University of Cambridge in 2014 working with DNA nanotechnology and single-molecule sensing using nanopores in the lab of Prof Ulrich Keyser.
• Postdoctoral fellow at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland from 2015 – 2021 in the lab of Prof John McKinney.
• Awarded a Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP) Long Term Fellowship in 2016.
• Promoted in 2021 to a permanent senior scientist position.
• Moved to Heidelberg University Medical Faculty in 2023 as a Group Leader in the Department of Infectious Diseases

Dr. Christine Lansche is a research scientist with over a decade of experience in biomedical sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Heidelberg, where she researched infectious diseases using microfluidic platforms. After her Ph.D., she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institut Curie, specializing in organ-on-chip technology and developing a vascularized lung-cancer-on-chip platform to advance cancer research. Currently, Dr. Lansche is a Scientific Liaison at Emulate, supporting Central and Southern Europe. In this role, she promotes organ-on-chip technology and provides scientific expertise to academic and industry partners. 

Irina Shalashova is a postdoctoral researcher at Boehringer Ingelheim, with over a decade of expertise in lung fibrosis research. She holds a doctoral degree from Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, and a diploma in microbiology from Kazan State University, Russia. Initially, Irina’s research centered on the role of epithelial cells in lung fibrosis, but her current work at Boehringer Ingelheim focuses on epithelial-endothelial cross talk and associated rescue mechanisms.