17th Young Investigators Symposium

17th NRS Young Investigator Symposium- "You are what you br(eat)h"

28 November 2025@Hotel CASA Amsterdam

Preliminary Program:

09:15 – 09:45    Arrival and registration

09:45 – 10:00    Welcome

10:00 – 10:30    Lecture I – "No time to waste: targeting skeletal muscle atrophy in COPD and lung cancer" (Dr. Ramon Langen (MU))

10:30 – 11:00    Lecture II - "Exhaled Metabolite Analysis from Lab to Living Room" (Dr. Paul Brinkman (AMC))

11:00 – 11:15    Short break

11:15 – 11:45    Lecture III – "Microplastics as triggers of lung inflammation" (Dr. Odilia Corneth (Erasmus MC))

11:45 – 12.15    Network Activity

12.15 – 12.45    Career session

12:45 – 13:45    Lunch

13:45 – 15:45    Masterclasses

13:45 – 15:45    Workshop: Narrative CV writing

15:45 – 17:00    Group photo, Awards, Borrel & Closing

Morning program

"No time to waste: targeting skeletal muscle atrophy in COPD and lung cancer" (Dr. Ramon Langen (MU))

"Exhaled Metabolite Analysis from Lab to Living Room" (Dr. Paul Brinkman (AMC))

"Microplastics as triggers of lung inflammation" (Dr. Odilia Corneth (Erasmus MC))

Afternoon Program

Attendees can engage in an interactive workshop centered on "Narrative CV writing", led by Marieke Hohnen (MSc). Alternatively, they may participate in a Masterclass, which offers personalized feedback to enhance presentation and communication skills. Masterclasses will be in small groups chaired by a senior in the field and NRS Young Investigator Board member. It's important to note that participants in the early stages of their careers are strongly advised to take part in the masterclass, as it provides tailored insights and benefits for their professional growth. Participants in the Masterclass are required to submit an abstract.

The "NRS Masterclass Award" will be given to the young investigator who gave the best presentation in the Masterclass; the awardee will recieve a prize of € 500,-

Workshop: Writing a Narrative CV 
In many funding applications today, including those for NWO (Dutch Research Council) grants, researchers are asked to submit an evidence-based CV. This format aligns with the principles of Recognition and Rewards, emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all researcher profile and valuing a diversity of talents across the academic landscape.

The evidence-based CV consists of two parts: 1) A narrative academic profile and 2) A list of key outputs

The narrative CV goes beyond listing research achievements. It gives researchers the opportunity to highlight their knowledge, experience, and values in a more personal and meaningful way. However, crafting such a narrative can be challenging. How do you approach writing it? How do you ensure it’s more than just a written-out resume? And how do you highlight what truly matters?
In this hands-on workshop, participants will actively work on developing their own narrative CV. Through exercises and peer feedback, you’ll gain insight into how to present your strengths and showcase your identity as a researcher.

By the end of the session, you will have drafted a strong first paragraph of your narrative CV and have the tools to continue developing it further.

MASTERCLASS ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDLINE

• Maxiumum 300 words
• 1 figure/table (optional)
• Deadline: 30 October 2024

If you do not have any results from your study yet, simply provide an abstract that covers the background, hypothesis, and methods of your study. Preliminary data are also welcome. All abstracts will be accepted, you will not receive a confirmation of acceptance. Upon arrival and registration, you will receive an overview of the participants in each masterclass.

A TV screen will be available to project your PowerPoint slides during the Masterclass. Each participant will have 5 minutes to explain their study, followed by a short discussion (5-10 minutes). The presentation should be limited to a 5 slides and  structured as follows: introduction, results (maximum 3 figures, 1 figure per slide), and discussion. If you do not have any results from your study yet, simply present the background, hypothesis, and methods of your study.

Be aware that joining the masterclass you automatically compete for the Masterclass award of 500 euros! You will be judged on your presentation (layout and structure) as well as presentation and discussion skills.

Meet the Speakers of YIS 2025

Ramon Langen

Department of Respiratory Medicine, NUTRIM Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Center+

his PhD in 2003 at Maastricht University for his thesis ‘Modulation of skeletal muscle plasticity by inflammation’, on a project conducted in collaboration with the University of Vermont, US. He has worked as a post-doctoral fellow (2003-2007), Assistant Professor (2007-2016), and Associate Professor (2016-2024) at the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Maastricht University. Since 2024 he has been appointed as Professor in Skeletal muscle biology in Lung pathology.

His research aims at deepening the understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of skeletal muscle plasticity in health and disease, to provide a foundation for interventions to restore muscle homeostasis and prevent or reverse muscle atrophy in lung disease, with the ultimate goal to halt or even reverse disease progression and improve treatment outcomes for patients.

To this end, detailed molecular and cellular analyses of skeletal muscle biopsies are combined with clinical and functional characteristics of patients suffering from lung cancer and COPD-associated muscle wasting. Complex in vitro and novel relevant in vivo models have been developed in his group to elucidate the intra- and inter-cellular signaling underlying muscle atrophy and impaired muscle homeostasis, and to test potential intervention strategies. These experimental models are subject to constant optimization by integrating the latest technological developments in AI-based (non-invasive) image analyses, bioinformatics, and Organ on Chip approaches, with continuous attention to their translational potential.

Ongoing grants from which the research in his team is funded include:

- ‘Resolving the DYNAMIcs of lung cancer CAchexia (DYNAMICA)’, funded by LSH-TKI (PI);

- ‘Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction to enhance lung tissue repair in COPD: muscles to the rescue’, funded by ZonMW-Open 1612459 (co-PI);

- ‘P4O2 - Precision Medicine for more Oxygen’, funded by TKI/LSH-T2019-P4O2 (co-PI);

- ‘NutrI2FIT: Strengthening Immune Fitness –a Nutritional solution to boost cancer ImmunoTherapy efficacy’, funded by NWO/TTW (co-PI).

Ramon Langen is also chair of the Animal Welfare Body (IvD-UM) and chair of the Knowledge platform Biomedical Models Maastricht (KBM²).

Paul Brinkman

Assistant Professor & Principal Investigator, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam

Paul Brinkman is a biomedical engineer and researcher at the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC. With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of technology and clinical research, his work focuses on developing innovative diagnostic tools and home-monitoring technologies in the field of respiratory health care. His research spans both adult and pediatric pulmonary medicine and extends into biomarker discovery projects in endocrinology and dermatology, aiming to improve early diagnosis and disease monitoring.

Paul obtained his PhD at the AMC-UvA under the supervision of Prof. P.J. Sterk and Prof. A.H. Maitland–van der Zee, where he investigated non-invasive breath analysis for respiratory diseases. His expertise lies in method development for sample collection and analysis, including chemical sensor and mass spectrometry-based technologies. These methods are applied in outpatient clinics, hospital wards, intensive care units, mobile settings and in vitro.

Currently, Paul leads ONELAB, a 22-partner EU Horizon project that develops next-generation modular mobile laboratories for rapid disease detection and pandemic preparedness. He also founded PHEASANT, a pioneering initiative focused on chemical sensor-driven tools for at-home monitoring of exhaled volatiles.

Odilia Corneth

Assistant Professor, Erasmus MC

Dr. Odilia Corneth is an assistant professor at the department of Pulmonary Medicine at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam and leads the translational research team studying interstitial lung disease (ILD).

She performed her PhD in rheumatology, studying B-T cell interaction in mouse models of autoimmunity. Here she developed a keen interest in the immune mechanisms driving chronic inflammatory conditions and, vice-versa, how a chronic inflammatory environment reshapes the immune system. As a postdoc and group leader at the department of Pulmonary Medicine, she optimised phospho-flowcytometry allowing sensitive measurement of intracellular signalling in B and T cells. Using this technique she showed that intracellular signalling is rewired in these cells in autoimmune disease patients, increasing their susceptibility to stimulation. In recent years, she moved into the field of ILD, studying the role of immune cells in the onset and progression of sarcoidosis and pulmonary fibrosis. As part of this research line, she studies how environmental exposure to microplastics can activate the immune system to cause pulmonary inflammation.

Registration is free for NRS members.

Non-member fee: €150,-

Registration and abstraction submission portals open from 15-09-25 to 31-10-25.