Prof. Karim Vermaelen elected as chairperson for the new CRIG steering committee (2026-2028)

Recently, the new CRIG steering committee was elected (read more) for the next 3 years (until end 2028). The steering committee consists of 8 elected CRIG group leaders (from different faculties of UGent and representatives from UZ Gent and VIB-UGent) and is responsible for the strategic decisions to ensure the realization of CRIG’s mission and objectives (in close collaboration with the operational committee).

We are proud to announce that Prof. Karim Vermaelen has been elected as the chairperson of the new CRIG steering committee! Prof. Vermaelen is heading the Thoracic Tumor Immunology Laboratory, and is associated with faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences as associate professor. Additionally, Prof. Vermaelen has clinical activities as pulmonary physician and thoracic oncologist at the UZ Gent Department of Pulmonary Medicine. He is actively involved in the development of cell therapies and mRNA-based immunotherapeutics.

Prof. Karim Vermaelen has been active as UZ Gent representative in the CRIG steering committee since 2023 and will be chairperson in the new steering committee until the end of 2028. Within CRIG and beyond, Karim is known as an expert clinician that is also deeply involved in innovative clinical studies and translational tumor immunology research, thereby bridging the lab and the clinic. 

As our new chairperson, Karim reflects on CRIG’s 10-year journey and shares his vision for the future of cancer research at Ghent:

This year CRIG celebrates its tenth anniversary, so it’s a perfect moment to look back with pride and gratitude. Over the past decade, my predecessors have built CRIG into a vibrant, multidisciplinary cancer research ecosystem, and I want to warmly congratulate them for their leadership and vision. I also want to explicitly thank our outstanding operational team, whose professionalism and dedication have been absolutely essential in making CRIG what it is today.

In my new role, I will continue to put to work one of CRIG’s core assets: the close embedding of cancer research labs and world-class core facilities right within the hospital campus. It fosters awareness in all cancer researchers that what we do, we do it in the patient’s interest. Beyond this, CRIG strength also lies in its ability to connect cancer research labs across different campuses and faculties in Ghent. 

With the construction of the new university hospital over the next 4 years, our campus is undergoing a radical makeover. This will inevitably impact future cancer research, and I believe as CRIG we must follow this transformation as closely as possible and identify unique opportunities early on.

At the same time, we need to keep a lively dialogue between CRIG and external partners, forging productive collaborations with industry, regulators, patient organizations and academic centers across our continent and beyond.

Looking forward to working with all CRIG members and partners in the coming years to write the next chapter of CRIG’s story!
 

Left: chairman Prof. Karim Vermaelen with the operational committee members Dr. Pieter Rondou, Dr. Eva De Smedt, An Rose, Charlotte Reynhout.

Right: all members of the CRIG Steering Committee (2026 - 2028): Prof. Karim Vermaelen, Prof. David Creytens, Prof. Steven Goossens, Prof. Isabelle Hoorens, Prof. Koen Raemdonck, Prof. Geert van Loo, Prof. Kris Vleminckx, Prof. Ward De Spiegelaere