AICPPCH2027 | Pediatrics Conference | Child Health Conference | Vienna | Austria | Top Conference | Best Conference

Dr. Timothy Van Meter

BRAINBox Solutions, Inc.,United States

Title: What lies ahead: Current and emerging technologies for health screening in perinatal and pediatric medicine

Timothy E. Van Meter, PhD is a senior scientific executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across translational neuroscience, neurology biomarkers, molecular diagnostics, digital health, and clinically oriented product development. He is recognized for translating complex biological and neurological insights into actionable clinical strategies, regulated development programs, and commercially relevant health technologies. Dr. Van Meter currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer of BRAINBox Solutions, Inc., where he has led the development of advanced neurodiagnostic platforms from discovery through clinical validation, regulatory advancement, and commercialization. His work has included biomarker discovery, assay development, AI-enabled clinical modeling, and multimodal scientific integration to improve disease classification and support precision neurological applications. In addition to his executive experience, Dr. Van Meter has built a broad advisory and founder profile across emerging health and neurotechnology companies. Earlier in his career, Dr. Van Meter established deep scientific expertise in differentiating adult and pediatric neuro-oncology, CNS biology, and translational neuroscience through leadership roles in academia and industry. Current interests include understanding contexts of injury, such as the influence of the existing brain health landscape at the time of insult or injury. From the neonatal and developing brain to the complex comorbidities in the brain of the older adult, understanding pre- and post-injury interactions are necessary for precision neurological health and best outcomes.

Dr. Jeanne Magagna

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, UK

Title: To be confirmed.

Dr. Jeanne Magagna is a Child, Adult and Family Psychotherapist who trained at the Tavistock Clinic in London. Also she was Head of Psychotherapy Services at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children for 24 years. Jeanne currently teaches on the Tavistock M.A. Programme of Observational Studies in Centro Studi Martha Harris in Florence, Italy and she works as a psychotherapist, teaches and writes internationally. Her publications (in various languages) include editing: Intimate Transformations: Babies with Their Famlies, Being Present for Your Nursery Age Child, The Silent Child: Communication without Words, Psychotherapy with Families, Creativity and Psychotic States and Universals of Psychoanalysis. She also wrote A Psychotherapeutic Understanding of Eating Disorders in Children and Young People and many articles on infant observation.

Prof. A. Papadopoulou

Agia Sofia Children's Hospital, Greece

Title: Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases in Pediatrics: Challenges from Diagnosis to Management

Alexandra Papadopoulou is Pediatric Gastroenterologist and former Head of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition of the First Department of Pediatrics of the University of Athens and of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Children's Hospital "Agia Sofia”, Athens, Greece.

Alexandra Papadopoulou has specialized in Pediatric Gastroenterology in Great Britain, at the Institute of Child Health, University of Birmingham, from 1991 to 1994. She has degree of Doctor of Medicine (equivalent to PhD) from the University of Birmingham, Great Britain from 1998. The title of her M.D. Thesis was ‘Gastrointestinal and Nutritional Consequences of Bone Marrow Transplantation in Children’. From 2008, she is Honorary Professor of Pediatrics of the State Pediatric Medical University of Saint Petersburg. She has over 150 publications listed on Web of Science, more than 12.000 citations with a Hirsch-Index of 44, over 200 presentations in medical congresses and over 300 invited lectures. Five research studies have received honors. She is founding member of the Hellenic Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (HELSPGHAN).

She is member of European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) which she served from different positions. In 2011 she was elected member of ESPGHAN Committee on Gastroenterology for the years 2011-2014 and in 2014 was re-elected for another 3 year term. From 2011 to 2017 she was the Education Secretary of the Committee on Gastroenterology. From 2013 to 2016 she was member of the ESPGHAN Public Affairs Committee. From 2015-2017 she was member of the National Societies Group Steering Committee. In 2015-2016 she served on the ESPGHAN Council as President of the ESPGHAN 49th annual meeting. From 2018 until 2024 she was the Chair of the ESPGHAN Working Group on Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases. She has co-authored 24 European Guidelines on a variety of gastrointestinal diseases such as cow’s milk protein allergy, primary enteric nervous system disorders, Helicobacter pylori gastritis, functional gastrointestinal diseases, Crohn’s disease, assessment of exocrine pancreatic function and pancreatitis in children, as well as on various motility and endoscopy techniques such as the combined esophageal impedance-pH monitoring in children, gastrostomy and jejunostomy placement, the use of several tests such as stool calprotectin and assessment of drugs such as proton pump inhibitors and many others. In addition, she was the first and leading author of the first European Guidelines on Eosinophilic Esophagitis in children published in 2014 and one of the three first authors of their 2024 update as well as the first and leading author of the first global guidelines on Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases beyond Eosinophilic Esophagitis published in 2024. Since 2021 she has been member of the Core Group of the ESPGHAN Endoscopy Special Interest Group. In 2022 she published several articles on the training in Pediatric Clinical Nutrition, in Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility and in Pediatric Endoscopy across Europe and the need for the oficial recognitio of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition as Pediatric Subspecialty. She served as faculty of many ESPGHAN educational events as well as as organiser of 10 ESPGHAN Summer Schools and Endoscopy hands-on courses.

In Greece, she is founded member of the Hellenic Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (HELSPGHAN) and its President for the years 2005-2007 and 2019-2021. From 2018-2024 she was member of the National Nutrition Committee of the Hellenic Ministry of Health updating the National Guide on Infant Nutrition in 2018. From 2016-2018, she was member of the Education Committee of the Central Board of Health of the Hellenic Ministry of Health and co-author of the updated educational program, curriculum and logbook for the Specialization in Pediatrics. From 2016-2018, she was member of the Institute of Scientific Research of the Panhellenic Medical Association responsible for the Medical Specialties, Scientific Societies, and Professional Associations. From 2023-2024 she was member of the Hellenic Ministry of Health Committee on the recognition of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition as pediatric subspecialty, which was achieved in 2023. From 2023 to date she is member of the Hellenic Ministry of Health Committee on assessment of applications for the title of Pediatric Gastroenterologist, and from 2024 member of the Ministry of Health Examination Board for obtaining specialist certification in Pediatric Gastroenterology.

Prof. Karel Allegaert

KU Leuven, Belgium

Title: Neonatal and perinatal clinical pharmacology, including lactation

The research of K Allegaert is focused on perinatal and pediatric clinical pharmacology and its co-variates (maturational, non-maturational, pharmacogenetics, disease-related), with the subsequent use of in vivo datasets to develop prediction models. Supported by an FWO senior clinical research grant (2008-15) and an IWT-SBO grant (SAFEPEDRUG, 130033), he reported on about 25 studies as (co)-principal investigator, describing pharmacokinetics of antibiotics (amikacin, vancomycin, cefazolin) or excipients (propylene glycol) in neonates, and analgo-sedatives in neonates and pregnant women. During his subsequent stay (2016-10/19) at Erasmus MC (80%, KUL 20%), he remained active, contributing to the RAIN study (oral antibiotics in neonates, co-promotor, ZONNW), the CODINOS trial (nitric oxide to sildenafil in diaphragmatic hernia, co-promotor, internal competitive funding) and the CRUCIAL trial (cerebral + cardiac protection, allopurinol in neonatal congenital heart surgery (co-applicant, ZONNW).

At present (KU L 100%, Erasmus MC 10%), he is lead investigator of two ongoing ZONNW GGG grants (pentoxifylline for neonatal sepsis, doxapram for neonatal apnoea,), and WP lead ALBINO (H2020, https://www.albino-study.eu/; pharmacokinetics, perinatal asphyxia, 300 kE). More recently, this research expanded to pre-clinical topics, with in vitro models (placenta, renal tubular cells), in vivo models (bronchopulmonary dysplasia rabbit) and pharmacovigilance in neonates or during pregnancy and lactation (IMI Conception, IMIc4c), and its integration in modelling tools (including physiology-based pharmacokinetics).

Prof. Pilar Sáenz González

Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IISLAFE), Spain

Title: Monitoring in Neonatology: Optimization through Artificial Intelligence

Neonatologist involved in the direct care of critically ill newborns and their families for more than 25 years. Doctor of Medicine, University Professor and director of a Cum Laude thesis and is currently the director of another 5 doctoral theses in progress. The principal investigator's lines of research focus on the study of oxidative stress related to the fetal-neonatal transition, development- and family-centered care, and the optimization of comprehensive monitoring in Neonatal Intensive Care.

In terms of technological translation and innovation, the development of the intelligent neonatal monitoring line, awarded with the Ennova Health 2020 award "Intelligent Neonatal Monitoring System - iNeoM" and two INBIO grants as IP in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Valencia to promote interdisciplinary and innovative research projects with a high impact on the transfer of scientific knowledge to clinical practice, stand out.

Prof. Pinar GENCPINAR

Izmir Katip Celebi University, Turkey

Title: When to Suspect a Genetic Disorder in Children: Clinical Clues and Red Flags’ will be better to discuss for pediatricians and neonatologists

Prof. Dr. Pınar Gençpınar is a Professor of Pediatric Neurology at İzmir Katip Çelebi University Faculty of Medicine, Türkiye, and serves as Deputy Director of the Neuroscience Research and Application Center. Her clinical and research interests focus on neurogenetic and rare neurological disorders, epilepsy and genetic epileptic syndromes, neonatal neurology and brain injury, cerebral palsy, and neurophysiological monitoring, including video-EEG and continuous EEG. She also has a strong academic interest in molecular biology and genetics, particularly in the application of neurogenetics to pediatric neurological disorders. Prof. Gençpınar has contributed extensively to clinical and translational research in pediatric neurology, with numerous publications covering epilepsy, developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, neurogenetics, rare genetic and neuromuscular disorders, neonatal neurology, and cerebral palsy. Her work brings together clinical pediatric neurology, neurophysiology, molecular genetics, and neuroscience, with a particular emphasis on advancing the diagnosis and understanding of rare and complex neurological disorders in children.

Prof. Kunjing Pang

Fuwai Hospital, BeiJing Academy of Medical Sciences, China

Title: Detailed Anatomical Sub-Typology Enhances Long-Term Surgical Outcomes in Double Outlet Right Ventricle

Dr. Pang has devoted her career to echocardiographic diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) and structural heart disease. She has long led the echocardiographic consultation services for congenital and fetal heart disease at Fuwai Hospital, and pioneered the establishment of the integrated diagnosis-and-treatment platform for fetal heart disease at Fuwai. As a founding figure in echocardiography-guided intervention, she originated the pure ultrasound-guided interventional treatment approach for congenital heart disease. She innovatively developed a new anatomical classification system for congenital double outlet right ventricle (DORV), and coined the term "congenital maldevelopment of the mitral valve chordae tendineae." She serves as Associate Editor of Echocardiography and as an Editorial Board Member of Congenital Heart Disease. She has published more than 60 SCI and Chinese core journal papers as first or corresponding author, authored 2 monographs as chief editor, translated 1, and led 10 research projects funded by vertical and horizontal grants.

Plenary Speakers