HUB & STEMCELL Organoids as Models of Infectious Disease Mini-Symposium

Hear the latest applications of epithelial organoid model systems, including their roles in investigating COVID-19. During this virtual mini-symposium co-hosted with Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB), Drs. Robert Vries, Sylvia Boj, and Ryan Conder discuss the development and characterization of organoid models, and how these are applied to studying health and disease. A recorded Q&A session follows the presentations.

About the Speakers:

Dr. Robert Vries

CEO, Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB)

Robert Vries received his PhD in Biochemistry from the Leiden University Center studying the molecular basis of oncogenic transformation. He continued his scientific career as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Upon his return to the Netherlands, he joined Hans Clevers’s group at the Hubrecht Institute studying adult stem cells. During this time, Dr. Vries was part of the team that developed the groundbreaking technology allowing the expansion of adult stem cells in vitro. The so-called organoid technology became the basis of the company Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB).

Dr. Sylvia Boj

CRO, Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB)

Sylvia Boj received her PhD in 2006 at the University of Barcelona, Spain, for her work at IDIBAPS on functional genetic analysis of MODY genes in pancreatic beta cells. She subsequently joined the Hubrecht Institute on a long-term EMBO fellowship. In the laboratory of Prof. Hans Clevers, she first studied the role of TCF7L2 in regulating metabolism. Then, she established an in vitro organoid model for human pancreatic cancers. In 2014, she moved to Hubrecht Organoid Technology as a group leader for the Cystic Fibrosis and Cancer programs. In 2016, she became Scientific Director of HUB, with the ultimate goal of transferring scientific advances in the organoid technology to the development of new drugs.

Dr. Ryan Conder

Associate Director, Gastrointestinal Biology, STEMCELL Technologies

Ryan Conder is the Associate Director of Gastrointestinal Biology at STEMCELL Technologies. He obtained his PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry from Simon Fraser University studying epithelial cell polarity in the group of Dr. Nicholas Harden and performed his postdoctoral research at IMBA in the group of Dr. Juergen Knoblich, identifying mechanisms of asymmetric cell division of intestinal stem cells. After spending time as a visiting scientist in the lab of Dr. Hans Clevers, he established the organoid portfolio at STEMCELL Technologies.