Belgian Society for Human Genetics - vzv/absl

Submit your abstract now for BeSHG / NVHG 2026, 17 & 18 September, Rotterdam

De Doelen, Rotterdam

The countdown has officially begun! There is less than a week left to submit your abstract for the upcoming joint Belgian and Dutch Societies of Human Genetics (BeSHG/NVHG) conference. The submission deadline is Monday, 22 June 23.59h.

Following the success of last year's meeting—which brought together many geneticists for vibrant discussions and high-energy poster sessions—we are building an even more exciting program for 2026.

Whether you are a PhD student, postdoc, or senior professional, this is the platform to showcase your latest breakthroughs, receive valuable feedback, and connect with the entire Dutch and Belgian genetics community.

Why submit?

Oral Presentations: Outstanding abstracts will be selected for oral presentations.

Vibrant Poster Sessions: Present your work to peers and experts in a highly collaborative environment.

Maximize Your Visibility: Connect with future collaborators and key Principal Investigators.

Don't wait until the final hours. So please do not hesitate and submit your abstract now! The deadline for abstracts is June 22 23.59h.

Why you should not miss this meeting

This year's programme brings together an exceptional and highly diverse group of speakers, spanning cutting-edge genomics, neurogenetics, evolutionary biology, scientific integrity, and the societal impact of genetics.

Can Mini-Brains and Organoids Crack the Evolution of Human Disease?

Frank Jacobs takes us into the evolution of the human brain, utilizing cortical organoids ("mini-brains") to see how structural genomic innovations shaped us.

Hugo Snippert showcases how patient-derived cancer organoids and live-imaging are catching genomic instability and cellular plasticity in real time.

Exceptional Longevity vs. Severe Neurodegeneration: The Genetic Balance

Rosa Rademakers discusses leading global consortia to map the genetic architecture behind devastating conditions like frontotemporal dementia.

Henne Holstege shifts the paradigm by looking at the other side of the coin: uncovering the specific genetic factors of extreme longevity in centenarians.

Deep Time: What Ancient Genomes Teach Us About Modern Health

Johannes Krause will show how ancient pathogens and interactions with archaic humans continue to shape modern disease susceptibility.

Eveline Altena will present her landmark 2026 Nature study, revealing how hunter-gatherer ancestry persisted in the Dutch and Belgian wetlands and contributed to the Bell Beaker expansion that transformed northwestern European genetics.

Science on Trial: Integrity, Politics, and the Public Eye

Elizabeth Bik the world’s foremost science whistleblower, will pull back the curtain on data manipulation and image duplication in biomedical literature.

Aaron Panofsky will tackle the sociopolitical side, exploring how genomic and behavioral data are frequently misinterpreted or weaponized in public and racial discourse.

Eric Green, shares invaluable perspective from the absolute foundation of modern genomics, reflecting on his central role in the Human Genome Project and how it continues to shape public health.

Whether your interests lie in human genetics, functional genomics, evolution, neurobiology, cancer biology, bioinformatics, ethical and societal aspects of genetics, or scientific integrity, this year's programme offers something for everyone.

We look forward to welcoming you on 17–18 September 2026.

Register now and submit your abstract before the deadlines!

The BeSHG/NVHG 2026 Organising Committee

Nederlandse Vereniging voor Humane Genetica, Dutch Society of Human Genetics
Postbus 9101
6500HB Nijmegen
The Netherlands

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