Inaugural lecture prof.dr. Willem Staels, FWO FKM laureate

évenement voor verwijzers

Woensdag 22 april 2026

Van 18 tot 19 uur

Auditorium Brouwer, Faculteit GF

IRON-BETA - Unraveling the iron metabolism of pancreatic β-cells

UMCOR cordially invites you to the inaugural lecture by Prof. dr. Willem Staels in light of his recent success in securing an FWO FKM grant.

Prof. dr. Willem Staels is a researcher at VUB and a pediatric endocrinologist at UZ Brussel, dedicated to improving the lives of children with diabetes. His research focuses on pancreatic beta cell biology, with particular interest in vascular cues, iron metabolism, immune interventions, and cell‑based therapies for diabetes.

After early work on pancreatic vascular biology during his MD/PhD training at VUB and UGent, Willem pursued postdoctoral research in Paris, where he helped develop methods to dissect the cellular complexity of the endocrine pancreas. His discovery of a prominent role for iron metabolism in β‑cells laid the foundation for his current research line, supported by a Senior Clinical Investigator Fellowship from the FWO.

In this lecture, he will discuss how vascularization and iron homeostasis shape beta cell identity, function, and resilience, and how these insights may open new avenues for precision therapies in diabetes.