Speakers

Dr. Shabab Bazrafkan - Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Antwerp Biography: Shabab Bazrafkan received his B.Sc degree from Urmia University, Urmia, Iran in electrical engineering in 2011, M.Sc degree from Shiraz University of Technology (SuTECH) in telecommunication engineering, Image processing branch in 2013 and Ph.D. from the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) in Deep Learning and Neural Network design in 2018 and he is currently a postdoctoral researcher working on low dose CT image reconstruction using machine learning techniques with VisionLab at the University of Antwerp.

Marianne De Voecht - Policy advisor at the University of Antwerp Biography: As a policy advisor within the Research Affairs Unit of the Department of Research Affairs and Innovation, Marianne De Voecht supports the policy processes on ethical review, scientific integrity, Open Science and Research Data Management. Moreover, she offers administrative support during the selection and evaluation procedures for TT(ZAP)BOF-professors.

Jorrit Glastra - CTO / Deep learning lead at Quantib Biography:  Jorrit Glastra  is CTO and deep learning lead at Quantib. He drives technical delivery and leads Quantib's deep learning efforts, where his engineering background and extensive experience with large scale modelling and numerical optimisation provides him with a solid basis to discuss technical details with R&D engineers.

Dr. Bruno Hoste - Research Manager at the University of Antwerp Biography: Dr. Bruno Hoste is Research Manager Biomedical Sciences and Medicine and advisor Fundamental, Strategic Basic and Applied Research, EU (H2020), International and National funding opportunities in Life Sciences at the University of Antwerp. He’s an expert coach and advisor for PhD and project applications and driving force behind the ‘Dive-into-Projects’ and ‘Dive-into-Business’ training program. He is also founder of ZOOON, a consultancy firm providing the “Human Mind Canvas” thinking framework to allow better understanding of human interactions, organizational thinking, behavior and decision making dynamics related to and applied within communication, marketing, leadership and innovation strategies, and this within different context settings such as academic environments.

Dr. Thomas Janssens - Research Collaboration Manager and MR application specialist at Siemens Healthineers Belgium Biography: Dr. Thomas Janssens is Research Collaboration Manager and MR application specialist at Siemens Healthineers Belgium. After his studies in physics he obtained his PhD in the field of Biomedical Sciences at the KU Leuven, Belgium in 2013. Key expertise of Dr. Janssens include cognitive neuroscience and MR physics and an extensive experience in all MR applications on Siemens Healthineers’ systems. Dr. Thomas Janssens is supervisor of the B-Q MINDED researcher Céline Smekens.

Prof. Dr. Jan Sijbers - Professor at the University of Antwerp and Head of imec-Visionlab Biography: Prof. Dr. Jan Sijbers graduated in Physics in 1993. In 1998, he received a PhD in Physics from the University of Antwerp, entitled Signal and Noise Estimation from Magnetic Resonance Images", for which he received the Scientific Award BARCO NV in 1999. He was an FWO Postdoc at the University of Antwerp and the Delft University of Technology from 2002-2008. In 2010, he was appointed as a senior lecturer at the University of Antwerp. In 2014, he became a full professor. He is Senior Area Editor of IEEE Transactions on Image Processing as well as Associated Editor of IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging. Jan Sijbers is the Head of imec Visionlab.

Dr. Dirk Smeets - Vice President of Clinical Applications at icometrix Biography: Dirk Smeets is Vice President of Clinical Applications at icometrix. Besides his position as Vice President of Clinical Applications he is a post-doctoral Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Antwerp and a Vice Chair Expert for the European Commission. Trained as biomedical engineer (2003-2008) and as a PhD in medical image computing (2008-2012), Dirk has become an expert in the advanced processing of medical images, as could be appreciated by numerous awards and a strong publication record.

Prof. Dr. Pieter Van Dyck - Radiologist at UZA Biography: Prof. Dr. Pieter Van Dyck, MD, PhD studied medicine and radiology at the University of Antwerp (UA), Belgium. He obtained his PhD from the UA (‘MRI of the Knee at 3T: Diagnostic Performance and Comparison with 1.5T, promotor prof dr Paul Parizel). He currently works as a musculoskeletal radiologist at the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Belgium. In addition, he holds a mandate as a Senior Clinical Investigator of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Belgium. Dr. Van Dyck is an active member of the International Skeletal Society (ISS), the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and the European Society of Skeletal radiology (ESSR). He serves as supervisor of the BQ-minded project for UZA.

Dr. Ben Van Werkhoven - Netherlands eScience Center Biography: Ben van Werkhoven got his PhD in GPU Computing at VU University Amsterdam in 2014. He has since been working at the Netherlands eScience Center, where he is the leading GPU expert. Ben is involved in accelerating scientific research using GPUs in many collaboration projects with partners from university research groups in the Netherlands, across many disciplines, including microscopy, oceanography, and radio astronomy. Ben has developed performance models for modeling computation/communication overlap for GPU programs, implemented an optimized and auto-tuned library for 2D Convolutions, and developed Kernel Tuner, a Python-based software development tool for testing and auto-tuning GPU code.

Prof. Dr. Marleen Verhoye - Professor and MRI researcher at the University of Antwerp Biography: Prof. Dr. Marleen Verhoye graduated in Physics in 1988 and obtained a Ph.D. degree in Sciences from the University of Antwerp in 1996. Since 2009, she is Associate Professor at the University of Antwerp. She has established an extensive expertise on acquisition and processing of high resolution in vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging of small animals.  This research is performed on rat and mouse models for different neuropathologies and on songbirds as a model for neuronal plasticity, auditory processing and learning. Using MR imaging paradigms such as e.g. perfusion MRI, DTI, DKI, resting state fMRI techniques, the focus of the research lies on early detection and understanding of the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, neuro-developmental and mood disorders including Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and depression. As a physicist PI, she actively contributes in these multidisciplinary projects, optimizing the project specific MRI acquisition and processing.