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3R-Network BW ECR Workshop offered by NaWik - Venue, Travel & Accommodation
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Research and Activities
Looking forward to engaging talks and poster presentations, and plenty of opportunities to network at the upcoming 3R-Network BW Annual Conference 2025 “Ex vivo, de novo & in silico models in biomedical research”, taking place at the University of Stuttgart, on Campus-Vaihingen, over a two day period next spring: 01.04. - 02.04.2025.
Are you on social media? Post using #3RConferenceBW2025 and don't forget to tag 3R-BioMedicUS (@3R-BioMedicUs on LinkedIn; @3r_biomedicus on Instagram; @3rbiomedicus.bsky.social on Bluesky Social).
Our network is funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts (Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst - MWK) of the state of Baden-Württemberg with the aim to anchor the 3R principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) into our research, teaching and training activities. We therefore stride for better patient-predictive models through science and engineering, replacing and reducing animal testing, and bringing the future of 3R models for biomedical research into the present.
Registration to the conference is currently closed.
What do we understand by ex vivo, de novo and in silico?
Below, you can find the way we define these terms and examples of models that can fall in the three categories. However, it is important to note that biomedical research models are often complex, comprising of a combination of various ex vivo, de novo and/or in silico elements, and therefore allowing some flexibility in the assignment to a group.
Ex vivo – performing experiments or measurements in or on tissue removed from an organism with minimal alteration of natural conditions, contributing both to reduction of animals used in pre-clinical studies, as well as allowing direct testing on human tissue samples.
- Ex vivo models, e.g.:
- primary patient material
- organoids
- organotypic slice cultures
De novo – designing and constructing tissue ”anew”, in a so-called “bottom-up” approach, starting with small structural/functional units such as different cell types added onto custom-designed biological scaffolds, aiming to recapitulate tissue composition and architecture.
To distinguish de novo from ex vivo, we also consider in vitro models that use immortalized cell lines instead of primary cells as de novo "building blocks".
- De novo models, e.g.:
- tissue engineering
- bioprinting
- microphysiological systems (MPS)
- body- and organ-on-chip
- organoids (iPSCs)
In silico – computational patient models built upon existing literature and experimental data, that allow scientists to model disease responses and to run complex simulations of research experiments.
- In silico models, digital twins, e.g.:
- PKPD modeling
- virtual organs/tissues
- clinical trial simulations
Conference Program: Day 1 - April 1st, 2025
Agenda Day 1 - April 1st, 2025
09:00 - 09:45 Welcome & Registration (Coffee Break)
09:45 - 10:00 Opening remarks
Prof. Monilola Olayioye (3R-BioMeidicUS Speaker, University of Stuttgart) Prof. Manfred Bischoff (Vice Rector for Research and Sustainable Development, University of Stuttgart)
10:00 – 10:15 Opening remarks
Representative of the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts (MWK)
10:15 – 11:00 Keynote: Prof. Volker Lauschke (Karolinska Institute/Robert Bosch Hospital Stuttgart)
“Organotypic and microphysiological human model systems to improve translational pharmacology”
11:00 – 11:30 Assoc. Prof. Helmut Dolznig (Medical University of Vienna)
“Preclinical ex vivo models recapitulating tumor-stroma interaction in colon cancer“
11:30 – 12:00 Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. med. Alexander Kleger (Ulm University Hospital & iR-Center Ulm)
“Pancreatic cancer patient-derived organoids capture therapy response and tumor evolution"
12:00 – 12:15 Hanna Glasebach (Fraunhofer IGB, Stuttgart)
“Novel in-vitro psoriasis model based on genetically engineered keratinocytes“
12:15 – 12:30 Jasmin Schäfer (NMI/University of Tübingen)
“Modelling Neuronal Network Toxicity: Exploring Calcium-Driven Oscillatory Activity in a Human Dopaminergic 3D Model“
14:00 – 14:30 Dr. Paulin Jirkof (3R-Coordinator, University of Zurich)
“Refinement Matters: Improving Animal Welfare in Swiss Research”
14:30 – 14:45 Dr. Anne Mallien (ZI Mannheim)
“Severity Assessment: How can we detect impairments?”
14:45 – 15:30 Keynote: Dr. Thomas Eissing (Bayer AG, Germany)
“Model-Informed Drug Development”
15:30 – 16:00 Prof. Tian Qiu (TU Dresden & DKFZ Dresden)
“Cyber-physical Organ Models for Surgical Robots and Medical Training”
16:00 – 16:15 Prof. Markus Morrison (Rehm) (University of Stuttgart)
“Shortcuts from basic cancer research to in silico estimates of patient drug responsiveness”
16:15 – 16:30 Dr. Cristian Barrios Espinosa (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
“From Animals to Simulations: How Cardiac Modeling Supports the 3R Principles”
17:00 – 17:45 Anna Ross (grasshopper kreativ)
“Mind the gap: An interactive session on communication and engagement”
17:45 – 18:00 Lea Wirth (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases DZNE)
Science Slam - “EYE see YOU”
Conference Program: Day 2 - April 2nd, 2025
Agenda Day 2 - April 2nd, 2025
09:30 – 10:00 Prof. Jens Kurreck (TU Berlin)
“Bioprinted Organ Models for Biomedical Research”
10:00 – 10:30 Dr. Madalena Cipriano (University of Tübingen)
“Studying metabolism using organ-on-chip technology”
10:30 – 10:45 Kai Hirzel (University of Stuttgart)
“2D patterned cocultures and 3D bioprinted de novo models for recapitulating the tumor microenvironment”
10:45 – 11:00 Adrian Weghofer (University of Tübingen)
“Autologous immune-responsive cervix-on-chip for investigating host-pathogen interactions in HSV-2 infection“
11:00 - 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 - 12:15 Keynote: Prof. Petra Kluger (Reutlingen University)
“Advancing Adipose Tissue Engineering with Innovative Approaches”
Venue, Travel & Accommodation
Welcome & Reception, coffee breaks and poster sessions over lunch and dinner: Foyers of Pfaffenwaldring 47, 70569 Stuttgart
Presentation Sessions: Lecture Room V9.01, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart
Travel by Train:
Take the S-Bahn train to Stuttgart Universität (S1, S2 or S3). Exit the Universität station towards "Universitätszentrum". The entrance to the conference venue is within a few steps from the S-Bahn exit.
Tickets: Deutsche Bahn or VVS
From Stuttgart Main Station – Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (tief): S1 direction Herrenberg, S2 direction Filderstadt or S3 direction Vaihingen (sometimes Flughafen/Messe).
From the Airport – Flughafen/Messe S-Bahn station: S1 direction Kirchheim (T), S2 direction Schorndorf or S3 direction Backnang.
Travel by Car:
Although parking on Campus Vaihingen is free of charge, we encourage travel by means of public transport, because availability of parking spots on workdays can be limited. The closest parking lot is a short, 5-minute walk away from the venue. Parking spots are also present along the streets, but finding a spot might require some time.
Participants are expected to book and pay for their own accommodation. A mix of single and twin rooms have been reserved for 2 nights from the 31st of March to the 2nd of April 2025 at several hotels listed below, two of which located in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, close to the conference venue, and two in the vicinity of the Main Station in Stuttgart city center. Participants should contact the hotel directly to make a reservation using the booking code by the specific deadline set by the hotel. The details are as follows:
Stuttgart-Vaihingen:
Hotel: ibis Styles Stuttgart Vaihingen
Address: Ruppmannstraße 20, 70565 Stuttgart
Deadline for booking: 17.02.25
Event code: 3R-BW
Contact email: HA6Q4-RE@accor.com
Hotel: Römerhof
Address: Robert-Leicht-Straße 93, 70563 Stuttgart
Deadline for booking: 27.02.25
Event code: 3R-BW 31.03.2025
Contact email: info@roemerhof-kulinarium.de
Stuttgart City Center (proximity to Main Station):
Hotel: Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof
Address: Kriegsbergstraße 32, 70174
Deadline for booking: 03.03.25
Event code: 3R-BW
Please use the following form to request for the room: MotelOne_Allotment_contract_263
Contact email: stuttgart-hauptbahnhof@motel-one.com
Hotel: Hotel Unger
Address: Kronenstraße 17, 70173 Stuttgart
Deadline for booking: 03.03.25
Event code: 3R-BW
Contact email: info@hotel-unger.de
Contact us

Monilola Olayioye
Prof. Dr.Director of the Institute (Molecular Tumor Cell Biology)
Raluca Tamas
Dr. rer. nat.3R-BioMedicUS Scientific Coordinator