Els Henckaerts
Head of Trellis Research Group | KU Leuven
Prof. Els Henckaerts is a professor at KU Leuven and head of the Trellis Research Group. Her research explores how harmless viruses can be used as delivery vehicles for advanced therapies that aim to repair or replace defective genes.
Els also co-founded Handl Therapeutics, focused on gene therapy for complex neurological diseases. The company was later acquired by UCB, marking an important example of how Leuven-based scientific expertise can move into a larger pharmaceutical context.
In her session on Thursday, Els brings a rare combination of perspectives: academic researcher, gene therapy expert, spin-off founder and mentor. She will reflect on what happens when a scientific breakthrough moves beyond the lab and enters the world of IP, capital, partnerships, manufacturing and patient impact.
A line-up of human-centric innovators
These extraordinary technology experts know their way around the latest innovations, but they always keep in mind that we're extra ordinary first.
