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ILLUMINATE partners convene in Turin for first Annual Consortium Meeting
Last week, on 30 September - 1 October, the ILLUMINATE consortium gathered for its first Annual Meeting in Turin, Italy, kindly hosted by the University of Turin (UNITO) and Bracco Imaging Spa. The two-day meeting brought together partners from across Europe who shared scientific progress, aligned priorities for the coming year, and strengthened the collaboration across workstreams in ILLUMINATE.
Reflecting on a productive first year
The meeting opened with a warm welcome by Prof. Silvio Aime (UNITO), followed by introductions of the Scientific Advisory Board members—Tone Bathen, Robert Muller, and Anders Bjartell.
Project Coordinator Prof. Dennis Klomp (UMC Utrecht) provided a high-level summary of ILLUMINATE’s first year, highlighting major scientific achievements, ongoing challenges, and the path ahead for the second project year.
Dennis Klomp, Project CoordinatorThe first year of ILLUMINATE has demonstrated what strong collaboration across disciplines can achieve. Our joint efforts are setting the stage for impactful innovation in metabolic MRI and theranostics.
Partners presented the project’s progress and key milestones from the first year, sharing updates on the optimization of metabolic MRI techniques, advancements in technology development and manufacturing, progress in the preparation of the clinical study and data analysis, as well as efforts to navigate regulatory frameworks and policy adoption. The meeting also highlighted initiatives to engage healthcare professionals, patients, and the public, alongside updates on project coordination and communication activities.
Between sessions, participants also had the opportunity to explore a series of scientific poster presentations, showcasing ongoing research, technical developments, and collaborative results from across the consortium. Lively breakout sessions followed, allowing discussions across workstreams on interdependencies, shared challenges, and strategies for mitigating potential risks in Year 2.
Advisory insights and collaboration highlights
The consortium benefited from an interactive session with the Scientific Advisory Board, who shared recommendations on strengthening synergies between technical development, regulatory alignment, and clinical translation. The day concluded with an engaging workshop with ILLUMINATE's patient representatives from the Stakeholder Involvement Community, led by Astrid Janssens (UMCU), focused on stakeholder engagement and implementation.
Industry collaboration at Bracco Imaging
Day 2 took place at the Bracco Imaging site and featured invited presentations by Fabio Tedoldi (Head of Global R&D, Bracco Imaging Spa) and David Kersting (University Hospital Essen, Thera4Care) who explored the role of theranostics and precision imaging in advancing personalized care.
Various workstream representatives then presented an outlook for Year 2, highlighting upcoming priorities, work plans and expected outcomes. Discussions focused on the consortium’s shared ambition to translate technical innovation into clinical and societal impact through collaboration.
The meeting concluded with a guided site visit at Bracco Imaging, offering participants a firsthand look at the industrial facilities that support ILLUMINATE’s translational goals.
We would like to thank all participants for joining the first Annual Meeting of ILLUMINATE and a special thank you to the University of Turin and Bracco Imaging Spa for their hospitality.