Distinguished Lecture of the Father of Organoids-Organoids to model human disease in 3D and 2D

To enhance the quality, visibility, and international integration of organoid- and organoid tissue-related research and drug development models in Taiwan and at Taipei Medical University (TMU), Taipei Medical University and the College of Medicine, are honored to welcome Professor Johannes (Hans) Clevers, a world-renowned pioneer in organoid research and widely recognized as the “Father of Organoids,” to Taiwan in October 2026 for academic visits and lectures. Professor Clevers is a member and former President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and a professor at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research and Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

This academic exchange will facilitate the continued optimization of patient-derived organoids from normal tissues and tumors at the Organoid Technology Core Laboratory of Taipei Medical University. It will also enable the Laboratory to align its research and technologies with those of Professor Clevers, one of the pioneers who established organoid models. Through this collaboration, the Laboratory will be better positioned to provide a wide range of related services to academic and industrial communities both in Taiwan and internationally, while establishing an organoid biobank with clinically representative models for specific diseases.

These efforts are expected to enhance Taipei Medical University’s academic impact and international reputation in organoid-related research, while also promoting the application of organoid technologies in clinical patient treatment and industrial drug development. This collaboration therefore holds significant academic value as well as substantial potential for university-industry applications.