We are pleased to invite you for the third ELIXIR Belgium meeting which takes place on 18 May 2022 in Brussels. More than ever we aim to bring together people, offer networking opportunities and trigger challenging discussions. Much progress has been made in the last two years and numerous new initiatives arose from various areas. With the presentations, panel discussions, ask-me-anything sessions and networking time, we offer you not only an overview of our achievements but also showcase the converging character of existing initiatives and how this can make a change in life sciences research. This event is free but registration is required.

Programme

9.00   Registration

9.30   Welcome and introduction, Frederik Coppens, Head of Node ELIXIR Belgium (VIB)

9.45   Session 1 : Open and FAIR Science - Chair: Jiří Vondrášek (ELIXIR CZ)

• Data availability and open data requirements, Javier Lopez Albacete (EC)
• ELIXIR Belgium services for research data management, Flora D’Anna (VIB) - Slides
• Enabling data intensive analyses for all life science researchers, Ignacio Eguinoa (VIB) - Slides
• The promise of FAIR Real World Data for life sciences industry, Bart Vannieuwenhuyse (Janssen) - Slides

11.00   Coffee/tea break

11.30   Session 2 : Research enabled through infrastructure - Chair: Rafael Andrade Buono (VIB)

• From the PDB to AlphaFold2 and beyond, Wim Vranken (VUB) - Slides
• Sharing is caring: how COVID-19 submission tool empowers others, Hedi Peterson (University of Tartu) - Slides
• Exploring genome assemblies of invertebrates with high performance computing clusters, Nadège Guiglielmoni (University of Cologne) - Slides
• The use of PLAZA in plant research, Tom Ruttink (ILVO) - Slides
• Panel discussion: Key features for open data to enable ground-breaking research

12.45   Lunch

13.30   Ask-me-anything & networking (Data management - Reproducible data analysis - ELIXIR Belgium Node Services - Interoperability for innovative research - Data challenges for multi-omics research)

14.30   Session 3 : Building the ecosystem to share sensitive data across Europe - Chairs: Christine Durinx (VIB) and Yves Moreau (KU Leuven)

• 1 Million Genomes and the Genome of Europe, Ivo Gut (CNAG-CRG Barcelona) - Slides
• Building an interoperable Genomic Data Infrastructure, Frederik Coppens (VIB) - Slides
• Towards a Belgian Genomic Biobank, Joris Vermeesch (KU Leuven) - Slides
• Population Health Information Research Infrastructure (PHIRI) and the European Health Data Space (EHDS), Nienke Schutte (Sciensano) - Slides
• Scaling-up real-world data: multiple sclerosis as a use case, Liesbet Peeters (UHasselt) - Slides
• Panel discussion: The complexity of the ecosystem

16.25   Wrap-up, Kim De Ruyck (VIB)

16.30   Networking and reception
 

Twitter hashtag: #ELIXIRbe22

Organising committee: Liesbet Peeters (UHasselt), Wim Vranken (VUB), Alexander Botzki (VIB-Bioinformatics Core), Flora D’Anna (VIB-PSB), Frederik Coppens (VIB-PSB), Kim De Ruyck (VIB-PSB)