The Organoid Center Amsterdam UMC (ORCAU) is pleased to announce its 2025 Annual Symposium, dedicated to the rapidly evolving field of immune models and their applications in human-centred immunological research. This symposium will take place on the 30th of October 2025, at the O2 building, Amsterdam UMC location VUMC.

This year’s theme highlights how organoid technology is revolutionizing our understanding of the immune system—from modelling immune responses to exploring disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.

What You Can Expect

Building on the momentum of last year’s successful event, this year’s symposium will feature a dynamic programme showcasing cutting-edge organoid research conducted within Amsterdam UMC. Attendees will hear from a diverse lineup of speakers, including senior scientists, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers. We’re also honoured to be joined by Prof. Dr. Amalia Dolga, Professor of Regenerative Neuropharmacology at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), as a keynote speaker.

View the full 2025 ORCAU Annual Symposium Programme here.

Call for Abstracts

Interested in presenting your work? We invite abstract submissions for poster presentations. Submission deadline: 23rd of October 2025. Please send your abstract to: organoidcenter[@]amsterdamumc.nl. For inquiries, contact the organizing committee via the same email address.

Join Us

Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or new to the field, this symposium offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of organoid technology and connect with fellow innovators. Register before 23rd of October 2025 to secure your spot!

We are pleased to announce that on the 21^st of November 2024, ORCAU will host its annual symposium. This event will take place at the O2 building at the Amsterdam UMC location VUMC.

This year we have put together an exciting programme to showcase some of the remarkable work that is being done using organoids within the Amsterdam UMC. Our lineup includes senior researchers, PhDs, and postdocs within the Amsterdam UMC as well as an external keynote speaker, Dr. Jessica Nelson from The Institute of Cancer Research.

To see the full programme, click here.

Interested?

If you would like to be a part of the programme, you can submit an abstract for a poster before the 31^st of October 2024. Please email abstracts to organoidcenter [@] amsterdamumc.nl. For questions, please contact the organization committee using the same email address.

Are you interested in learning more about human organoid technology and how they can be applied in research? Register for the symposium before the 10^th of November 2024!

Last month, on the 28th of June 2024, Amsterdam UMC announced that Tas Group received a grant from ReumaNederland, a foundation supporting research on rheumatoid arthritis.

Grant to study Rheumatoid Arthritis

Tas Group has received a grant of €425,000 from ReumaNederland. With this grant, the group will developorganoids that imitates the inflamed tissue from the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (the most common inflammatory disease of the joints). Ultimately, they aim to test the effects of different treatments in the laboratory thus predicting the therapy response of individual patients. This research is paving the way to a future with more human-centered research and personalized treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

About Tas Group

Tas Group, led by Prof. Dr. Sander Tas and Dr. Jan Piet van Hamburg, mimics the rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue by using multicellular 3D systems that recapitulate the cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions and key pro-inflammatory mediators present in the inflamed synovium. Their organoid approach can be used to test the effects of novel diagnostic (molecular imaging) and therapeutic compounds, including small molecule inhibitors and biologics. At the same time, by using human-based models, Tas Group paves the way for animal-free research.

On Thursday, 23^rd of November 2023, ORCAU hosted an annual symposium at the Amsterdam UMC. The programme of the symposium included keynote presentations from experts, a round-table discussion, and poster presentations that highlighted some of the extraordinary work that is being done at the Amsterdam UMC. 

The ORCAU Annual Symposium is intended for researchers who are working with human organoids and organotypic models within the Amsterdam UMC. The symposium serves as an opportunity for researchers to showcase the work that they are doing with human organoids and to network with other scientists working within the field. 

The symposium was opened by Prof. Dr. Hans van Goudoever. The line-up of keynote speakers included Dr. Wendy Dankers, Prof. Eric Reits, Dr. Vivi Heine, and Dr. Harsha Devalla, and panelists of the round-table discussion included Dr. Juan Garcia Vallejo, Dr. Michel van Weeghel, Dr. Peter Henneman, and Prof. Eric Reits. 

During the event, Debby Weijers, director of Stichting Proefdiervrij (the Dutch Society for the Replacement of Animal Testing ) gave a brief introduction of the Proefdiervrij Venture Challenge; a program that helps scientists set up a venture plan that will push forward animal-free scientific research. She also introduced the winner of the 2023 Venture Challenge, VEO, which consisted of researchers from the Amsterdam UMC.

At the symposium, seven posters were presented by PhD students and technicians working within the Amsterdam UMC. Attendees of the event were encouraged to engage by the posters.  

We would like to thank Stichting Proefdiervrij, ISOGEN, and STEMCELL Technologies for sponsoring our event. We look forward to hosting the next annual symposium. 

Are you interested in joining ORCAU? Contact organoidcenter@amsterdamumc.nl.