
Professor Hans Clevers
Hubrecht Institute
Pioneering organoid research transforming cancer research, drug testing and personalised medicine worldwide.

WORD+2027 is our 5th anniversary!
'Global Innovation & Standardisation in Action'
Community. Connections. Collaboration
Academia » Pharma » Industry » Technologies
Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
♦
>40 Leading Research Organoid
Organ-on-a-chip & NAM speakers for
The Latest Research Innovations &
The Challenges being addressed
♦
Keynote: Professor Hans Clevers
& recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award
Highlighted speakers & past speaker kind words below
♦
Plus 30 technology solutions highlight how they
are already helping to advance research
& standardisation approaches



23rd–26th February 2027 • Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge

Hubrecht Institute
Pioneering organoid research transforming cancer research, drug testing and personalised medicine worldwide.

GSK
Global Head of Translational In Vitro Models and GSK Fellow, presenting GSK partnerships in action.

Institute of Human Biology / Roche
High-throughput histopathology for complex in-vitro models and organoids as models of immune–organ interaction.

Nottingham Trent University
MIMIC: an interconnected multiorgan platform recreating the complex pathophysiology of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Max Planck Institute
Complex organ models including liver, from the Meri Huch lab, known for long-term expandable liver and pancreas organoids.

Royal Veterinary College
Engineered pulmonary artery tissues: lab-grown replicas of human blood vessels modelling artery behaviour and pulmonary hypertension.

Nottingham Trent University
Innovative muscle, heart tissue and bone models, including tissue-on-chip and organ-on-chip, to study regeneration, ageing and exercise.

University of Birmingham
Molecular cardiology and generation of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte and fibroblast engineered heart-tissue models.

University of Oxford
Studies fibrosis and inflammation using human organoid platforms that capture complex immune responses within and across tissues and diseases.

Comprehensive Cancer Center François Baclesse
Session Chair from Comprehensive Cancer Center François Baclesse, contributing translational cancer-model expertise.

University College Dublin
Mechanobiology, biomaterial design, 3D printing and development of in-vitro and in-vivo disease models for paediatric bone cancer.

University of Bern / OnconiX AG
Director of the Organoid Core and Head of the Urological Research Laboratory; CSO of OnconiX.

Translational & Clinical Cancer Research
Cancer research and clinical translation.

Director, Nonclinical Safety · Immunocore
In vitro preclinical assessments across oncology, infectious diseases and autoimmune conditions.

Imperial College London – Organoid Facility
WORD+2027 co-host from Imperial's Organoid Facility, connecting organoid research with systems and computational approaches.

Cambridge University
Human intestinal organoid models and functional profiling.

Johns Hopkins University / CAAT
Neural connection from culture, integrated methods and the emergence of organoid and bio intelligence, including computational tools and AI.

University of Cincinnati
Microphysiological modelling of glioblastoma for precision medicine and focused-ultrasound-enabled drug delivery in a bioprinted glioblastoma model.

Imperial College London
AI-empowered organoid platforms and computational approaches.

University of Manchester
Medical image analysis and modelling with emphasis on machine learning, computational physiology and in-silico clinical trials.

AstraZeneca
Senior Director and Head of Advanced Cell Models, Safety Sciences at AstraZeneca, presenting partnerships in action.

University of Copenhagen / reNEW
Lung regeneration and disease, using advanced human lung organoid models to uncover underlying mechanisms.

Université Grenoble Alpes / CEA / INSERM
Human blood-vessel organoid assembloids and vascularised organoids-on-chip for studying systemic drug delivery.

UNSW / NAT Network
Develops human stem-cell and organoid systems for direct investigation of disease biology and therapeutic response in human tissue.

UMC Amsterdam / OrganoVir
Leads OrganoVIR Labs, bringing clinicians, virologists and tissue engineers together to develop animal-free virus models including organoids and organ-on-chip.

Jagiellonian University
Virogenetics, 3D human tissue models and organ-on-chip for infection mechanisms and development of new therapeutic strategies.

3D and 3Rs / EUROoCS
EUROoCS session chair, showcasing leading regional research and innovation in organ-on-chip and advanced human models.

University of Tübingen / 3R-Center Tübingen
Successfully engineering multiple organ-on-a-chip platforms and a leader in 3Rs research.

University of Vienna
Engineering the blood–brain barrier on chip for drug penetration and disease modelling, including a new microfluidic device for brain organoids.

KU Leuven
Session Chair • Reproductive Health Modelling.

NC3Rs
Leads the CRACK IT Challenges programme and is Head of Innovation at NC3Rs, addressing UK roadmap and replacement challenges.

NIH
NIH Program Director contributing to US roadmap discussions and implementation challenges for human-relevant research.

European Commission Joint Research Centre
EU roadmap challenges and implementation of human-relevant approaches.

Swiss 3R Competence Centre
Driving 3Rs advancement and better science in Switzerland, with a focus on replacement challenges.

Loughborough University
WORD+2027 co-host from Loughborough University, with research spanning advanced human models and translational cancer biology.
Read Mhairi’s papers and take the quiz in the WORC-Flow Quest™ Library
University Düsseldorf
WORD+2027 Poster Abstract Team.
Read Elvira’s papers and take the quiz in the WORC-Flow Quest™ Library
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
WORD+2027 Poster Abstract Team.
Read Johanna’s papers and take the quiz in the WORC-Flow Quest™ Library
Queen Mary University of London
WORD+2027 Co-Host.
Read Stefaan’s papers and take the quiz in the WORC-Flow Quest™ Library



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+

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+
Special WORD+ Evenings and WORD+ Awards (lunch time 26th)
23rd February
Community. Connections.Collaboration

Speaker Social!
7pm- 9.30pm
Bar open thereafter
Main Hall
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
25th February
Community. Connections. Collaboration
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
Lunch and drinks
Included in your ticket.
1:30pm-2:30pm
Free Coaches leave 2:30pm
Training & Tools
Tickets soon
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
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

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+

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'
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.