WORD+2027 is our 5th anniversary!
'Global Innovation & Standardisation in Action'
Community. Connections. Collaboration
Academia » Pharma » Industry » Technologies
>40 Leading Research Organoid
Organ-on-a-chip & NAM speakers
Keynote: Professor Hans Clevers
(and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award)
Highlighted speakers & past speaker kind words below
>30 Technology solutions advancing research
& addressing research challenges
24th to 26th February 2027 (training 23rd Feb)
Hinxton Hall, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
Increased capacity for more connections than ever before!
WORD+2027 'Global Innovation & Standardisation in Action' Media partners
Highlighted 🌎 WORD+2027 Speakers & Chairs include below (more announced soon!) #Bettertogether
Leading World Researchers from Australia to Austria! Assembloids Organoids Organ-on-a-chip models Insilcio models Multi-organ system models & multiple disease areas including: Adipose Alzheimer's Artificial intelligence Bone Brain Cancer Gut Endometrial Heart Infectious disease Kidney Liver Lung Muscle Neural Vascular & more International 3R bodies demonstrate roadmaps in action Come join the discussions!
Professor
Peter Loskill
University of Tübingen &
3R-Center Tübingen
Peter has successfully engineered multiple organ-on-a-chip platforms, including retina, pancreas, white adipose tissue, heart muscle, heart valves, neural networks (brain), and breast tumor models.
Professor
Shafagh Waters
University New South Wales & NAT Network
Head of the Regeneration and Stem Cell Translational Research Laboratory. Research program focuses on developing human stem cell and organoid systems that allow direct investigation of disease biology and therapeutic response in human tissue.
Professor
Hans Clevers
Keynote & Lifetime Achievement Award
24th Feb
Prof Hans Clevers'
Pioneering organoid research continues to transform cancer research, drug testing & personalised medicine world wide
“Organoids of individual patients are like avatars: they predict which drug will work best for the patient from which they derive.”
Professor
Dasja Pajkrt
UMC Amsterdam
& OrganoVir
Dasja leads OrganoVIR Labs, where clinicians, virologists and tissue engineers work together to culture viruses and develop innovative animal-free models (including organ-on-a-chips & organoids) for virus research.
Professor
Thomas Hartung
CAAT &
Johns Hopkins
Steers the revolution in toxicology to move away from 50+ year-old animal tests to organoid cultures and the use of artificial intelligence.
Organising Committee of the Exposome Moonshot Project.
Associate Professor
Antonella Dost
University of Copenhagen, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine.
Professor
Alex (Alejandro) Frangi
Bicentenary Turing Chair in Computational Medicine, UK CEiRS Executive Director. The University of Manchester.
Medical image analysis & modelling with an emphasis on machine learning and computational physiology.
In silico clinical trials.
Assistant Professor
Sarah Spitz
University of Wien
Professor
Krzysztof
Pyrć
Jagiellonian University
Virogenetics, 3D human tissue models, Organ-on-a-chips for mechanisms of infection and the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Associate
Professor
Livia Santos
University of Nottingham
Innovative muscle, heart tissue and bone models (tissue on a chip & organ-on-a-chip) to better understand tissue regeneration, ageing and exercise
Assistant
Professor
Riccardo Barrile
University of Cincinnati
Modeling Glioblastoma Niche-by-Niche: Recent Advancements in Bioengineering of Organotypic Models of Glioblastoma for Precision Medicine. Employs Microfluidics and 3D bioprinting.
Associate
Professor
Fiona Freeman
University College Dublin
Mechanobiology, biomaterial design, 3D printing and developing in vitro and in vivo disease models for
paediatric bone cancer.
Professor
University of Nottingham
MIMIC: An interconnected multiorgan platform to recreate the complex pathophysiology of the metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
Professor
Maurice Whelan
European Commission
Joint Research Centre
Researchers addressing
EU Roadmap challenges
Deputy Director for Health & Food. Head of Systems Toxicology Unit and the EU Reference Lab for alternatives to animal testing (EURL ECVAM)
Dr
Emily Tubbs
University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM
How to supply blood and nutrients to lab-grown organs. Emily will share more on how human assembloids of human blood vessel organoids and vascularized organoids-on-chip for assessing systemic drug delivery.
Dr
Lei Huan
Dr
Rhiannon
David
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca
Partnerships in action
Senior Director, Head of Advanced Cell Models, Safety Sciences.
Professor
Katja
Gehmlich
University of Birmingham
Molecular Cardiology.
Generation of a human iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte & fibroblast engineered heart tissue models.
Dr
Lisa
Mohamet
GSK
GSK
Partnerships in action
Global head of translational in vitro models and GSK Fellow.
Dr
Cathy Vickers
NC3RS
UK Researchers addressing
UK Roadmap challenges
Cathy leads the CRACK IT Challenges programme and is Head of Innovation
Dr
Jasmeet
Reyat
University of Oxford
Mechanisms that drive fibrosis and inflammation using human organoid platforms that capture the complexity of immune responses within and across tissues and diseases.
Dr
Jenny
Sandström
Swiss researchers addressing replacement challenges.
Driving 3RS advancement and better science in Switzerland.
WORD+2027
Session Chair
France
Dr
Louis
Bastien Weiswald
Comprehensive Cancer Center François Baclesse
Dr
Margaret Ochocinska
Program Director
NIH, USA
NIH Researchers
Addressing
Roadmap challenges
WORD+2027
Chair
Dr
Pelin
Candarlioglu
EUROoCS
Showcase
Three of the regions leading researchers share their latest innovative work.
»Early
Career
Professional
Roche
High-throughput histopathology for complex in vitro models & Organoids as models of immune-organ interaction.
WORD+2027
Co-Host
Dr
Mhairi
Morris
Loughborough
University
Understanding the interactions between cancer cells and stromal cells in the tumour microenvironment, and how exercise may impinge on these interactions.
»Early
Career
Professional
XiangLu Xiao
Imperial London
AI-Empowered Organoid Platforms and computational approaches.
WORD+2027
Discussion Chair
Marianna
Kruithof-de Julio
University Bern &
OnconiX AG
Director Organoid Core & Head of The Urological Research laboratory.
CSO OnconiX
LUSH Prize Winner
Dr
Adam
Fellows
Royal Veterinary College
Engineered Pulmonary Artery Tissues. Lab-grown replicas of human blood vessels that can mimic how real arteries behave & pulmonary hypertension
WORD+2027
Poster Abstract team
Dr
Elvira
Weber
University Dusseldorf
WORD+2027
Co-Host
Dr
Tamas
Korcsmaros
Imperial Organoid Facility
WORD+2027
Poster Abstract team
Professor
Johanna
Bolander
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
WORD+2027
Discussion Chair
Assistant Professor
Heidi
Haikala
Solid IO, University Helsinki,
University Tampere.
WORD+2027
Co-Host
Dr
Stefaan
Verbruggen
Queen Mary University
London
Your Options to Join WORD+2027
WORD+
Training & Tools
23rd February. 10am-4pm
Imperial College London
Queen Mary University London University of Loughborough University of Bern and partners share their expertise and insight.
For all bench scientists &
Early career researchers.
Techniques, technologies,
analysis & presentation skills.
Refresh & boost your knowledge.
#Bettertogether
🌎5th Annual WORD+ 2027
Global Innovation & standardisation in action
Community. Connections. Collaboration
24th to 26th February
Agenda soon
Global Researchers share their latest research, application & outcome.
Experience innovation in discovery across multiple disease & organ types.
Engage in meaningful and inspiring discussion.
Discover how and where new technologies are advancing research
& where they are addressing the challenges ahead.
Build new lasting connections & be inspired!
Community. Connections. Collaboration
#Bettertogether
Special WORD+ Evenings and WORD+ Awards (lunch time 26th)
24th February
Community. Connections. Collaboration
5th Anniversary Party!
Fizz, Food & Fun
Included in your ticket.
6:30pm-8.30pm
Bar open thereafter
Exhibition Arena
Take the Technology Challenge
& Win the SMART LAB award.
25th February
Community. Connections. Collaboration
Key Note Posters &
Fluorescence Friday Awards
Drinks and Nibbles
Included in your ticket.
6:00pm-8.00pm
Bar open thereafter
Exhibition Arena
Gallery winners revealed
Presentations made
26th February
Community. Connections. Collaboration
Award Ceremony
Most Innovative: Speaker,
Poster, Technology.
Lunch and drinks
Included in your ticket.
1:30pm-2:30pm
Free Coaches leave 2:30pm
Exhibition Arena
Exhibition closes 2:30pm
Giving back!
Community. Connections. Collaboration
WORD+ Attendees vote for:
Most Inspirational Speaker & Research
Best Poster & Presentation
Most innovative Technology
2026's winners were:
Community. Connections. Collaboration
Did you know?...
Since our first event in 2022:
Welcomed over 100 Researcher speakers.
Donated circa £30,000 back into research.
Many WORD+ made connections
now publish and partner together!
← Look back at WORD+
« Rewind..Just some of the kind comments from WORD+2026!
International MPS Society Chair and Speaker
Dr Magdalena Kasendra
Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
'Reconnecting with friends, meeting new collaborators, and exchanging ideas that push our field forward.
It was an absolute pleasure - and great fun -to be part of it. Thank you so much for the invitation and for pulling together such a fantastic meeting. The energy, openness, and science really did make it special'.
Showcase Speaker.
Dr. Benjamin P. Sharpe
Southampton University. U.K
'It was an absolute pleasure to be invited and I'm really glad I could connect with researchers involved in tackling so many issues in medicine, from across the world. The friendliness and weIcome was second-to-none and I hope I see many of you back here next year to catch up!'
Session Chair and Speaker
Dr Rhiannon David.
Senior Director, Head of Advanced Cell Models, Safety Sciences. AstraZeneca, UK
'I echo everyone’s sentiments about the wonderful, friendly atmosphere that defines WORD+ conferences.
You did a fantastic job as always, and it was a pleasure to be part of it!'
Scandinavian Showcase Chair and Speaker:
Professor Steven Ray Wilson.
University of Oslo.
'Thank you so much for a wonderful event, with such excellence science and a friendly atmosphere!
Italy Showcase Speaker
Professor Giovanni Tonon.
San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy
International MPS Society Key Note Speaker
Assistant Professor Lena Smirnova.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.
'Excellent event and I had an excellent time-Thankyou!!'
Showcase Speaker and Award Winner
Dr Mhairi Morris.
Loughborough University. U.K
UK Showcase Speaker
Dr. Pablo F. Céspedes.
University of Oxford. U.K
Netherlands Showcase Speaker
Dr Petra de Graaf
UMC Utrecht. Netherlands.
Meeting Partner
Babraham Institute
Frontiers in Stem Cell Innovation conference
'WORD+26 has been incredible—an inspiring platform filled with innovative ideas,
impactful discussions and insights driving the future of exploratory toxicology'.
Sponsor and Attendee
Dr Miriam Foster.
Sartorius, Germany.
'I’m really looking forward to being back at WORD+2027 and connecting with customers. Events like this are such a powerful space for collaboration. I’m keen to hear how everyone is using advanced models in real projects, as well as the latest in NAM research!
'WORD+ events are the highlight of the conference year!'
Sponsor and Attendee
Dr Kate Harper
REVVITY, UK
'It's the best event to attend, well thought out, really insightful research and joy to be part of'
Event venue, travel and accomodation
WORD+ Venue
Hinxton Hall
Conference Centre
Wellcome Genome Campus,
Cambridge, CB10 1RQ.
+44 (0)1223 495000 or
Use code: WORD2027
or contact venue directly.
+44 (0)1223 495000 or conference.reception@hinxtonhall.org
WORD+
Running Club
2.5k or 5k (you choose)
Start the day with
Prof Johanna Bolander
7am outside conference entrance.
24th & 26th February
Free local travel to and from WORD+2027
MORE buses, more local stations, more choice and FREE!
Free return journeys from the following:
NEW Cambridge South Train station at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
NEW Babraham Research Campus & Great Chesterford Train Station, Main road by Duxford Lodge Hotel
Holiday Inn Express Cambridge Duxford (B & B Hotel Cambridge South) Red Lion Hotel side Whittlesford train station (connect to Cambridge). Red Lion Hotel side Whittlesford train station (connect to Cambridge). Hinxton Hall Conference centre (the venue).
More about WORC.Community!
Established in 2022 our mission is bring Organoid, Organ-on-a-chip & NAM researchers together to advance discovery. Our free to join network has a global reach of >10,000 researchers and those interested in next generation techniques. With leading researcher talks, innovative technologies in an open community atmosphere, all are welcome. It's where great ideas are shared and new ones are born.
