Keynote speaker

Prof. Dr. Koos Burggraaf from CHDR Leiden is a physician and professor of translational drug research and an internationally renowned clinical pharmacologist with decades of experience in early translational clinical drug development at the interface between academia and industry. The Center for Human Drug Research CHDR in Leiden was the first academic-led center for early clinical drug development in Europe to systematically follow the principle of “question-based drug development” (QBDD) using biomarker-driven development strategies, a term coined by the CHDR founder Prof Adam Cohen from Leiden University (Cohen AF, Burggraaf J et al Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2015; 55: 55 – 74).

Compared to the pure ”safety pharmacology” practiced for decades, particularly in early drug development and classic phase 1 studies, Question-Based Drug Development (QBDD) is a new approach in drug development that focuses on formulating specific scientific questions and systematically addressing these questions throughout the entire development process to evaluate. Rather than relying solely on predetermined protocols or traditional development paths, QBDD promotes a flexible and adaptive approach that allows new insights and data to be integrated in real time.

Prof. Jacobus (Koos) Burggraaf (1959) is currently Dean of the CHDR Academy and Professor of Translational Drug Development at the Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research and the Leiden University Medical Center. He is also a specialist in clinical pharmacology, a member of the Leiden training team for clinical pharmacologists and a full member of several (inter)national societies for clinical pharmacology.

Burggraaf earned a Master of Science in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences and a Master of Science in Medicine from Leiden University with a focus on clinical pharmacology. He then obtained the title of Doctor of Medicine with distinction from Leiden University and received his doctorate there. He has held various positions at CHDR since 1990, including CEO from 2018 to 2024.

Burggraaf's main interest is innovation in early drug development and (postgraduate) education. He has published over 250 manuscripts in academic journals and was/is the supervisor of 50 doctoral students.

Dr. Philippe Huot uses experimental models of Parkinson’s disease (PD) to develop new drugs for the disease. “My laboratory focusses equally on discovering therapies to alleviate uncontrollable movements caused by PD and on looking for a total cure” says Dr. Huot, who trained in neurology at Université Laval and received his PhD from the University of Toronto, where he did post-doctoral research in movement disorders. After a term on the faculty of Université de Montréal, he joined The Neuro in May, 2017. “My experience at The Neuro has been extremely positive. It’s a dynamic environment that thrives on both basic science and clinical research. Everything is put in place so that researchers can focus on their work.”

His lab seeks to further the understanding of the neuro-chemistry and neuro-anatomy of the basal ganglia, a fascinating group of brain structures, under normal conditions as well as in Parkinson’s disease, a neuro-degenerative disease that affects as many as 1% of the population aged over 60. They are on a journey that will bring them closer to a cure to Parkinson’s disease. They also seek to discover drugs that will provide greater relief of parkinsonian disability and treatment-related complications, e.g. dyskinesia, motor fluctuations and visual hallucinations.