Prof Hugo Vankelecom

Prof. dr. Hugo Vankelecom graduated as Master’s in Pharmacy at the KU Leuven, and obtained his PhD at this university (1992). Following a postdoc at the University of Oxford (UK), he was appointed Professor at the KU Leuven (1997) where he teaches Pharmacology & Pharmacokinetics, Hormonology and Stem Cell Biology to students of several disciplines, and is actively involved in internal organizations dedicated to enhancing research and education within the university. In addition, he is a member of esteemed scientific organizations such as The Endocrine Society and the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and is frequently invited to speak at prominent symposia in the fields of endocrinology and reproductive biology.
Prof. Vankelecom is the group leader of the Laboratory of Tissue Plasticity in Health and Disease (Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology), dedicated to unraveling the role and regulation of stem cells in tissue biology and pathology, in particular in endocrine and reproductive tissues (website). His group was the first to identify the stem cells in the pituitary master endocrine gland, and to discover regenerative capacity of the adult gland, a competence disappearing at aging. Over the past decade, his team developed a strong expertise in establishing and characterizing cutting-edge organoid models from various tissues. His team was the first to establish organoids from endometrium and endometrial diseases, as well as ovary, all powerful tools to decipher the mechanisms underlying the (patho-)biology of these essential reproductive organs. In addition, his team advanced the endometrial organoid tool to an in vitro embryo transplantation model. Also, his group pioneered the field of pituitary and tooth organoid development, characterization and application. All these organoid models serve as powerful tools for investigating the regulation and significance of stem cells in the endocrine/reproductive tissues, and their link to disorders such as endometriosis and cancer. Moreover, organoids provide powerful preclinical models to generate drug screening platforms and identify new translational avenues for therapy, including regenerative modalities (regenerative medicine and (stem) cell therapy). Together with prof. Frauke Christ and prof. Marianne Carlon, prof. Vankelecom founded the interdisciplinary ‘organoid@KUL’ network and platform, aimed at building a vibrant ecosystem of organoid/3D tissue modelling research at KU Leuven. In addition, he is valorising the team’s organoid results toward start-up creation. Hereby, he actively engages with patient organizations, ensuring that his research aligns with the needs of patients.