NEWS AND EVENTS
Updates from the REMOD-HEALING network.
| Upcoming international events
The 43rd Winter School on Proteinases and Inhibitors | March 11-15, 2026 | Tiers, Italy
ECM Pharmacology Congress | June 14-17, 2026 | Copenhagen, Denmark
Matrix Biology Europe (MBE) | June 29 – July 3, 2026 | Oulu, Finland
Gordon Research Conferences, The Power of Proteases and their Inhibitors, Bridging Mechanisms and Therapeutics | June 21-26, 2026 | Lucca (Barga), Italy
- European Tissue Repair Society | September 2-4, 2026 | Rouen, France
- FEBS 2026 Extracellular matrix in health and desease | September 22-27, 2026 | Eretria, Greece
| EVENTS
REMOD-HEALING Doctoral Network launches its Kick-Off Meeting in Lyon
The REMOD-HEALING Doctoral Network officially launched its long-awaited Kick-Off Meeting in a hybrid format in Lyon from 7 to 10 July 2026.
Supervisors, doctoral candidates, members of the External Advisory Board, associated partners, and invited speakers from industry, academia, hospitals, and patient associations came together to exchange ideas, engage in inspiring scientific discussions, and share expertise on the challenges and future of skin wound healing.
The four-day programme combined consortium meetings, keynote lectures, networking activities, round-table discussions, and practical training sessions for the 12 doctoral candidates. Invited speakers and experts explored skin wound healing from multiple perspectives. Dimitra Kiritsi, dermatologist from Greece, presented the clinician’s perspective, while Gwenaëlle Ramolino, nurse and representative of the DEBRA patient association in France, shared the patient and nursing perspective. The research perspective was presented by Alexander Nyström from the University of Freiburg, Germany. The industrial perspective was provided by Laurent Apert, Director of Research at URGO RID, and Amokrane Guezlane, Innovation Department Specialist at URGO RID, France.
The doctoral candidates also participated in a Speed Networking session, where they met with their supervisors and co-supervisors to discuss their Career Development Plans as well as engage in an interactive discussion on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in the workplace. The consortium also took part in a round-table discussion on Scientific Integrity, led by Raphaël Lévy from Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and Johannes Eble from the University of Münster.
The scientific programme continued with an introduction to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins by Professor Laurent Duca from the University of Reims. PI of REMOD-HEALING Project 4 and Assistant Professor Konstantinos Kalogeropoulos from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) delivered a lecture on the use of Artificial Intelligence in research, while Professor Christoph Becker-Pauly from Kiel University introduced the different protease families and their mechanisms of action. During the practical sessions, the doctoral candidates also gained hands-on laboratory experience working with skin cells.
The Kick-Off Meeting marked an important milestone for the REMOD-HEALING Doctoral Network, laying the foundations for scientific collaboration, interdisciplinary training, and knowledge exchange among partners across academia, industry, and healthcare.
Highlights from the Kick-Off Meeting, including photo and video recaps are available on the REMOD-HEALING social media channels. Stay tuned to follow the journey of our doctoral candidates and learn more about their research projects over the next three years.
REMOD-HEALING at the Matrix Biology Europe, Oulu, Finland
From 29 June to 3 July 2026, the REMOD-HEALING consortium was proud to participate in Matrix Biology Europe (MBE) 2026, Europe’s leading conference for the extracellular matrix research community.
Researchers from the University of Freiburg, University of Münster, and CNRS joined more than 150 participants from over 10 countries to discuss the latest advances in matrix biology and wound healing research.
Dr. Johannes Eble and Doctoral Candidate of the project 7 Eduardo Gutseit presented the REMOD-HEALING consortium through a poster, generating valuable discussions and interest in future collaborations.
Eduardo Gutseit also presented his research poster, “Mapping and Quantification of Collagenase Activity in Protease-Damaged Tissue,” which sparked engaging conversations with researchers and fellow PhD students.
PI of the project 3a from the University of Freiburg Alexander Nyström was invited as a speaker at one of the sessions covering the topic on “The matrix in fibroinflammation: from protection to pathogenic driver and therapeutic target”.
Events like MBE are essential for sharing knowledge, building collaborations, and advancing research that will contribute to better wound healing therapies.
REMOD-HEALING Presented at InBioS Day 2026 in Liège
REMOD-HEALING participated in InBioS Day, the annual meeting of the Research Unit of the Institute of Chemistry B6c, Centre for Protein Engineering.
During the event, REMOD-HEALING consortium partner Dr. Mireille Dumoulin presented research on the use of nanobodies to inhibit several human and bacterial proteases associated with diseases. She also introduced the future research directions her team will pursue within the REMOD-HEALING Doctoral Network.
Doctoral candidate of the project #8 Olga Predeina presented her PhD project, “MMP-9 Inhibitory Nano-antibodies for the Treatment of Impaired Wound Healing.”
This year’s InBioS Day welcomed approximately 75 researchers, including 9 new PhD students, and provided an excellent platform for scientific exchange and collaboration.
Exciting start for the MSCA Doctoral Network researcher!
No sooner had Eduardo Gutseit (Doctoral candidate of the Project #7) joined the team than he was already fully immersed in his research—and actively contributing to scientific outreach.
Together with his supervisor, Dr. Johannes Eble, Eduardo presented the REMOD-HEALING project at the annual meeting of the German Society for Matrix Biology, held from April 15–17 in Heidelberg.
This prestigious event brings together leading scientists to foster exchange and discussion on the latest advances in connective tissue research. It also plays a key role in advancing our understanding of the extracellular matrix—its composition and biophysical properties.
Given the central role of the extracellular matrix in wound healing, participation in such meetings is highly valuable for REMOD-HEALING and its consortium partners. It strengthens collaboration, sparks new ideas, and ensures our research stays at the forefront of the field.
REMOD-HEALING is introduced to young scientists!
One of the REMOD-HEALING partners Dr. Hans Brandstetter from The Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg (PLUS) is organising the 43rd Winter School on Proteinases and Inhibitors that is taking place between March 11-15 in Tiers, Italy. This year there are more than 60 participants from 15 countries around the world reunited to discuss the diverse and vibrant field of protease research and hear exciting results from young scientists.
Dr. Hans Brandstetter took this opportunity to present the REMOD-HEALING project.
Collaboration in action!
While doctoral candidate recruitment is ongoing, REMOD-HEALING partners are already actively collaborating through online meetings, seminars, and in-person visits.
On February 6th, 2026, Partner 1 visited Partner 8 in Liège, delivering a seminar titled: “Protease-driven collagen assembly: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic applications”.
This visit was a great opportunity to introduce the REMOD-HEALING research themes and discuss future collaborative projects.
