Annual Meeting 2025

BACR Annual Meeting 2025

Molecular Pathways in
Tumor Onset, Progression, and Prevention

The online abstract book is available HERE.
Scientific committee: BACR Board

9:00 Registration, poster mounting & coffee
9:30 – 12:15 MORNING SESSION
Chair: Prof. Nuyts Sandra & Prof. Geert Berx
9:30 Welcome
9:45
Invited speaker 1

Prof Ludwig Dubois University Maastricht
“Impact of radiation-induced lymphopenia on the outcome of radiation-immunotherapy treatment”
10:15
Invited speaker 2

Prof Maxime Tarabichi ULB Brussels
“Unfolding the somatic genome evolution of human cancers from fertilisation to resection”
10:45 Coffee break & Poster viewing
11:15 Young investigators: oral presentations of 4 selected abstracts

Selected abstract 1

Spatiotemporal optical barcoding identifies polyclonal synergism as driver for melanoma lymph node metastasis.

Nikolakopoulos Apostolis – KU Leuven

Selected abstract 2

pH-gated CAR T cell activation with a diphtheria toxin translocation domain adaptor

Lauwers Heleen – University Ghent

Selected abstract 3

Multiomics immune profiling of a patient-relevant Orthotopic Lung Cancer model using seperate-SEQ

Allonsius Lize – VUB Brussels

Selected abstract 4

Endothelial cells-secreted cathepsin A induces PHGDH loss and metastasis via chaperonemediated autophagy

Demicco Margherita – KU Leuven

12:15                          BACR: general assembly (members only)

 

12:30 – 14:00             LUNCH AND POSTER SESSION

 

14:00 – 16:45             AFTERNOON SESSION

Chair: Prof. Diether Lambrechts & Prof. Akeila Bellahcene

 

14:00                          Young investigators: oral presentations of 4 selected abstracts

Selected abstract 5

PI3K and MAPK signaling nodes as divergent drivers of phenotypic plasticity in cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer

De Vuyst Felix – University Ghent

Selected abstract 6

Luminal stem cell plasticity dictates the aggressiveness of mammary tumors

Novello Brigida – ULB

Selected abstract 7

mTORC2-dependent remodelling of alveolar macrophages supports immune evasion in lung cancer

Renaude Elodie – Université Liege

Selected abstract 8

Microenvironment-Driven Reprogramming of RUNX1–SRC Signaling in Melanoma Progression

Shijie Tang – KU Leuven

 

15:00                          Coffee break

 

15:30                          Invited speaker 3

Prof Lars Vereecke University Gent
“Host-Microbiota interactions during colorectal cancer development”

16:00                          Invited speaker 4

Prof Colinda Scheele University Leuven and VIB – EACR SPEAKER
“Impact of the menstrual cycle on breast cancer formation and treatment response”

16:30                          Awards ceremony for best oral and poster presentations

Concluding remarks

 

17:00                          End of conference

 

 

Oral presentation prize:

  1. Apostolis Nikolakopoulos (KULeuven) – Spatiotemporal optical barcoding identifies polyclonal synergism as driver for melanoma lymph node metastasis
  2. Felix De Vuyst (UGent) – PI3K and MAPK signaling nodes as divergent drivers of phenotypic plasticity in cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer
  3. Elodie Renaude (ULiège) – mTORC2-dependent remodelling of alveolar macrophages supports immune evasion in lung cancer

Poster presentation prize:

  1. Sebastian Igelmann (KULeuven) – Age-accumulated senescent cells fuel melanoma metastasis growth via NK cell inhibition
  2. Renske Imschoot (VIB-UGent) – An in-depth investigation of the epigenetics behind epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity in breast cancer
  3. Marine Hemmer (ULiège) – Identification of targetable metabolic adaptations in drug tolerant BRAFV600E mutant non-small cell lung cancer