On 5 June 2024, the Radboud - J&J Innovative Medicine Partner Day took place for the fifth time. Over 100 researchers, teachers and specialists from Radboudumc, Radboud University and J&J Innovative Medicine gathered at the Radboudumc Experience Centre to exchange knowledge and discuss opportunities for new collaborations.
Radboudumc, Radboud University and Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine have been working together since 2019 to make the results of biomedical, pharmaceutical and clinical research available to patients faster. We also encourage the development of essential skills of students, for example in oncology and immunology. And we learn from each other in the field of sustainability.
Visitors to Partner Day 2024 were welcomed (digitally) by José Sanders, rector magnificus Radboud University, and Michel van Agthoven, head of J&J Campus Netherlands. After an update on ongoing initiatives by Radboudumc department head of pulmonary diseases Michel van den Heuvel, the floor was given to an international guest: Prof Dirk de Ridder, director of quality at University Hospital Leuven.
De Ridder managed to captivate the guests with an experience story about the cooperation between J&J and UZ/KU Leuven, which has been running for several years longer than the cooperation with Radboud(umc). His main lesson learned: the workflows are most important. He advised attendees to make good plans for that, but then mainly let the participants do their thing, without burdening them with extensive reporting requirements.
The importance of people's personal commitment as the driving force of collaboration was the common thread in the speeches.
After the keynotes, it was time for the thematic parallel sessions. There were three this year: biomedical mechanisms & therapy development, appropriate care and education & careers.
The former session focused on three projects: image-guided interventional oncology, the M4TREK initiative for multiple myeloma and the AI-driven prediction model in intranasal esketamine. A recurring theme was the long development time for new therapies, and the importance of good collaboration between researchers and market players to quickly overcome hurdles along the way.
The session on appropriate care also covered three themes: (non-)appropriate care within Radboudumc, the relevance of work within appropriate care, and health perception as a starting point for appropriate care.
Education and careers focused on the changing needs and demands of future professionals and organisations such as J&J in the (bio-)medical field, and what that might mean for (bio-)medical education. There was also a focus on the importance of entrepreneurship and encouraging cooperation with industry among young researchers, as well as training and working in a transdisciplinary setting.
The day ended with perhaps the most important part of the day: matchmaking between the attendees. At thematic tables, experts from the three partner organisations discussed plans for new (follow-up) research and innovative projects. There was no shortage of ideas; the discussions were lively, in many cases continued beyond the official end and have already led to follow-up agreements to flesh out the deepening of our cooperation.
So in the coming years we can expect many more great things from this so far very successful cooperation. We will keep you informed!
Would you like to know more about the strategic collaboration between Radboud University, Radboudumc and Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine? Please contact Ed Koster (Radboud University), Antoine Wellink (Radboud University) or paul.vanderhoeven [at] radboudumc.nl (Paul van der Hoeven) (Radboudumc).
