Please note, preferably register only one person per company for best possible networking.
Photonics technologies have shown great promise in advancing both the diagnosis and therapy of cancer, offering highly precise, non-invasive and, in some cases, real-time solutions. Techniques such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescence imaging, and Raman spectroscopy enable early detection and detailed imaging of tumors at a cellular level. Their goal is to overcome some of the disadvantages of the traditional methods in terms of accuracy and speed of the diagnosis. Novel imaging techniques can also offer new advantages in intraoperative margin assessment in surgical oncology. For cancer therapy, photonics plays a critical role in approaches like photodynamic therapy, where light is used to activate photosensitive drugs that selectively target and destroy cancer cells. And laser sources can be used on surgical applications due to their capability to destroy tumors with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The integration of photonics with molecular imaging and targeted drug delivery systems is also enhancing the precision of cancer treatments, improving outcomes, and minimizing side effects.
In this meeting, we will bring again medical doctors from different departments to discuss with the photonics community about the actual status of the solutions they use and the remaining challenges and needs. From this discussion, integrators, manufacturing of complete systems and components manufacturers will understand the way to improve their developments to address the specific problems of the medical community. In order to support companies in this challenging process, a specific session on regulations, certifications and hospital management needs will be again organized to have new recommendations and advice from experts in these topics.
Ingrid Breuskin (Head of ENT Committee) is an otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgeon in the Head and Neck Cancer Department at Gustave Roussy. Since 2016, she has served as head of Gustave Roussy’s ENT Committee. Dr. Breuskin holds a PhD in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Liège in Belgium, a university degree in cervicofacial oncology, and a European university diploma in clinical research in oncology and dermato-venereology of the oral mucosa. She is a member of the French Group for the Study of Head and Neck Tumors (GETTEC), the Head and Neck Radiotherapy Oncology Group (GORTEC), the French Society of Head and Neck Carcinology (SFCCF), and the Head and Neck Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Dr. Breuskin is principal investigator of the project Clinical Evaluation of Endoscopic Confocal Microscopy in ENT Oncology – MEC ENT (PHRC Cancer 2012), and co-investigator of clinical research projects in cervicofacial oncology, including the Magnolia PHRC Cancer 2016 trial, evaluating near-infrared imaging with indocyanine green for intraoperative control of cancer resection margins, and the RORC study on active swallowing rehabilitation in patients treated with radiotherapy for upper aero-digestive tract cancers. She has authored around thirty publications and participates in imaging projects at Gustave Roussy’s imaging and cytometry platform, as well as translational research projects with the Institute’s laboratories, including the METSY unit (METabolic and SYstemic aspects of oncogenesis for new therapeutic approaches).
Angelica Conversano (Surgeon) is a breast surgeon specializing in oncological and reconstructive breast surgery. She practices at Gustave Roussy Hospital, one of the leading Comprehensive Cancer Centers in France, where she has developed extensive clinical expertise in oncoplastic procedures and breast reconstruction. Dr. Conversano is actively involved in research focusing on the application of fluorescence in breast surgery and the development of innovative techniques for the identification of non-palpable lesions. She also contributes to academic education, teaching in university diploma programs (DU) in Breast Surgical Techniques, Oncology, and Breast Imaging. She is a member of the French Society of Breast Pathology (SFSPM), the French Society of Oncological Surgery (SFCO), the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO), and the EUBREAST network. Dr. Conversano plays an active role in the development of French clinical guidelines, serves as principal or co-investigator in numerous clinical studies, and is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences. While Dr. Conversano considers the advancement of new surgical techniques, research, and teaching to be integral aspects of her professional activity, she firmly believes that human interaction with patients and their care and QoL remain the fundamental pillars of her vocation as a surgeon.
Marie-Christine Mathieu (Pathologist) is a Pathologist in the Department of Medical Biology and Pathology at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, where she practices Breast Pathology. Marie-Christine’s research is focused on development of new methods for imaging fresh tissue using tomography or confocal microscopy.
Angelo Pierangelo (Researcher) has been directing research activities at LPICM on biophotonics since 2015. He has leading expertise in optical instrumentation, particularly in the field of Mueller polarimetric imaging for biomedical applications. His innovative approach is based on the exploitation of the properties of polarized light to decipher the complex microstructure of living tissues, thus paving the way for new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of many pathologies. A true driver of innovation, Angelo Pierangelo designs Mueller polarimetric imagers with unparalleled performance, being among the pioneers in the application of such in vivo systems. Its flagship applications are multiple and have a direct clinical impact, including the early detection of cervical cancer, the improvement of the diagnosis of prematurity, as well as the development of endoscopic systems for the exploration of internal organs and minimally invasive surgery. Angelo Pierangelo is the leader of the POLARIMA project, funded by the Fondation de l'X and a decisive step in the realization and deployment of his technology in a clinical setting. Angelo Pierangelo has extensive experience in managing complex multidisciplinary projects at the interface between physics, engineering, artificial intelligence and the medical world. He has greatly contributed to the development of several collaborations with various research centers in Physics and Data Processing (Xlim, ICUBE, Charles Fabry Laboratory, etc.) and hospitals (Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Gustave Roussy Institute, Kremlin-Bicêtre University Hospital, Foch Hospital, etc.).
Stefano Giuliani (Consultant Neonatal and Paediatric Surgeon) is Consultant Specialist Neonatal and Paediatric Surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London and Clinical Co‑Director at the UCL Hawkes Institute for Interventional and Surgical Sciences. He holds an honorary Associate Professorship at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Udine (Italy) in 2000 and completed his specialist training in Paediatric Surgery at the University of Padova (Italy) in 2006. Following this, he spent four years at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California, where he combined clinical work with a PhD in Developmental Medicine and Health Planning Sciences, awarded by the University of Padova in 2010. From 2011 to 2016, he was Consultant Paediatric Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In 2015, Mr Giuliani completed the Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program (GCSRTP) at Harvard Medical School, a blended-learning programme in epidemiology and research with a focus on clinical trials. In 2019, he was awarded a Clinical Academic Research Partnership (CARP) by the Medical Research Council for the project ‘Colour-coded surgery in neuroblastoma: developing a dual PET and Near-Infrared Fluorescent Imaging (NIRF) probe to accurately visualise tumour from diagnosis to resection‘. Mr Giuliani leads an internationally recognized research programme focused on the development and clinical translation of novel imaging technologies such as fluorescence-guided surgery, photoacoustic imaging, and high definition ultrasound to enhance precision and safety in paediatric and neonatal surgery. He has secured over £2 million in competitive grant funding, including awards from the Wellcome Trust and NIHR, and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals. He serves in leadership roles within the European Society of Paediatric Surgeons and the International Society for Fluorescence Guided Surgery, and collaborates widely with academic and industry partners to drive innovation in surgical imaging.
Nadia Benmoussa-Rebibo (ENT & Reconstructive Surgeon) is a surgeon specialising in otorhinolaryngology, cervico-facial surgery, and reconstructive surgery within the Head and Neck Oncology Department at Gustave Roussy. She also has expertise in head and neck palaeopathology (AnthropoLAB-UVSQ). Doctor of Sciences from the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, she holds several specialisations, including head and neck carcinology, microsurgery, head and neck anatomy, facial plastic surgery, injection and filling techniques, as well as osteo-archaeological and medico-legal techniques, in addition to a diploma in oral and maxillofacial implantology. Dr Benmoussa-Rebibo is a member of the French Head and Neck Tumour Study Group (GETTEC), the Head and Neck Radiotherapy Oncology Group (GORTEC), the French Society of Head and Neck Carcinology (SFCCF), and the French Society for the History of Medicine. She is the author of around sixty publications.
Isabelle Fournier (Professor / Co-Director) is Distinguished Professor at the University of Lille, co-director of the PRISM Inserm U1192 laboratory and senior member of the Institut Universitaire de France. A bioanalytical chemist by training, she has made pioneering contributions to clinical mass spectrometry, especially MALDI mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and spatially resolved proteomics for oncology and precision medicine. Her recent work focuses on MSI-guided tissue phenotyping, in vivo mass spectrometry for image-guided surgery, and the clinical translation of the SpiderMass technology. She co-founded Imabiotech (now Aliri Bioanalysis) and Celeos and has been recognized with the international Distinguished Award from MSACL.
Nicolas Golse (MCU-PH, Surgery, Transplantation) is a hepato-biliary surgeon at the Hepato-Biliary Center of Paul Brousse Hospital and an Associate Professor (MCU-PH). He began his training at the digestive surgery and liver transplantation center of Croix-Rousse in Lyon and joined the team of Professors Adam and Vibert in 2015. He has authored more than 70 international publications, holds an H-Index of 18, and a SIGAPS score exceeding 900, reflecting his contributions across liver transplantation, portal hypertension, primary hepatic tumors, and related research fields. Nicolas also performs interventional radiology procedures such as TIPS and biliary drainages. Under Prof. Vibert’s supervision and in collaboration with INRIA, he completed a PhD in 2021 on digital twins, developing multi-scale, patient-specific computer models. He leads several clinical studies, including liver transplantation with small auxiliary left grafts and two-stage total hepatectomy (PHRC INCA 2020 “Rapid” strategy), validation of graft steatosis prediction by portable spectrometry, and ambulatory laparoscopic hepatectomies monitored via connected domomedicine tools (Hepadom protocol). Within the BOPA Chair, he supervises the Wave bloc (fluorescence in liver surgery) and the Avatar bloc (intraoperative augmented reality), advancing the integration of digital technologies into clinical practice.
Lambros Tselikas (University Professor and Hospital Practitioner, Interventional Radiologist, and Deputy Head of the Department of Anesthesia, Surgery, and Interventional Medicine (DACI)) holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Pierre and Marie Curie University with a specialization in Medical Imaging, a PhD in immuno-oncology from Paris-Saclay University, and a habilitation to supervise research (HDR). An internationally recognized expert in interventional oncology - particularly in percutaneous and endovascular cancer treatments - Professor Tselikas is the Director of the Biotheris Clinical Investigation Center (Inserm U1428) and an active member of the Translational Research Laboratory in Immunotherapies (LRTI). His research has earned numerous distinctions and competitive grants, including the Young Researcher Award from the French Society of Radiology. In education, he serves as the national coordinator of the Inter-University Diploma in Oncologic Interventional Radiology (DIU-RIO) and oversees the training of residents in advanced interventional radiology across the Île-de-France region. He teaches at the Paris-Saclay University Medical School, covering topics such as radiological semiology, cardiovascular and abdominal diseases, through diagnostic and interventional imaging. Author or co-author of over 190 scientific publications, his research focuses on intratumoral immunotherapy strategies, the impact of locoregional treatments and their combination with systemic therapies, as well as the integration of robotics and artificial intelligence into interventional oncology.
Nicolas Bourg (Co-Founder & CTO) graduated as an optronical engineer in 2012 (Polytech, Paris-Sud University). Nicolas pursued PhD studies within Sandrine Lévêque-Fort’s team (ISMO, CNRS), whose goal was to develop a 3D SMLM nanoscope based on Supercritical Angle Fluorescence, a method known worldwide as DONALD (Direct Optical Nanoscopy with Axially Localized Detection). Four years later, he co-founded Abbelight as CTO to simplfiy the access of 3D nanoscopy to biology researchers and pharmaceutical industries by transforming his research into a complete straightforward solution.
Ugo Drieux (COO) received a Master’s degree in Applied Physics from the Denis Diderot Engineering School of the University of Paris in 2019. He is now part of OptoSigma’s team responsible for customer relationships and custom project handling. He is also a master’s intermittent professor at the University of Paris for Business and corporate integration.
Didier Beghuin (BLO) is heading the Life Science and Industry activities for Lambda-X Verhaert High-Tech. He has been involved in optical developments since 2000. He developed metrology instrumentation for the ophthalmic industry, sighting systems for defense, and a series of custom microscopes for the biomedical sector. Being involved in space activities, he also led optical imaging or metrology developments for Earth observation or microgravity science. He is now mainly developing products for Biotechnologies, Diagnostics, Medtech, and food-related applications.
Eric Fantuzzi (Microscopy Development Leader) obtained a PhD at Institut Fresnel (FR), awarded through a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship. His work focuses on nonlinear microscopy techniques, including SRS, SHG and CARS microscopy, to advance rapid cancer diagnosis. He joined CRI to contribute to microscope development, system integration, and applications.
Laura van Huizen (Application Development Manager) has a background in biophysics from the University of Amsterdam and a PhD in the research group of Prof. Marloes Groot. She was the first to introduce a portable Higher Harmonic Generation microscope into the clinic, validating its use for various tissues and diseases. After a postdoctoral position at Aarhus University, she returned to Amsterdam to join Flash Pathology. With both a deep technical expertise and an unique understanding of our clients' challenges and needs, she is the perfect bridge between our cutting-edge technology and its real-world applications.
Nicolas Cantale (Senior Project Manager) received his Ph.D. in Physics in 2014 from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). His research interests include image processing, hyper-spectral imaging, super-resolution and astrophysics. Prior to his current position, he worked in the software development industry as manager on development projects. He joined CSEM in 2018 and is currently a senior project manager in the Edge AI & Vision group. He is leading multiple vision projects with a focus on spectral imaging for smart low-cost sensors for a broad range of industrial and innovation applications.
Lorenzo Vinco (Optical Engineer) obtained his Master degree in 2022 in Engineering Physics at Politecnico di Milano with a stage in NIREOS, a spin-off company of the Physics Department at Politecnico di Milano. His thesis activity revolved around the development of a push-broom hyperspectral camera. He is currently carrying out a PhD in Physics at the Physics Department at Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with NIREOS. His research focuses on hyperspectral microscopy for a variety of applications, such as biomedical imaging and material science.
Sophie Bourzeix (CEO) graduated from École Polytechnique and holds a PhD in quantum physics. She has dedicated her entire career to the field of optical instrumentation. Following the completion of her physics thesis at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, she joined the research center of France Telecom. In 1997, she joined Photonetics, a small industrial company specializing in optical instruments and sensors. As Deputy CEO, she made a significant contribution to the company's rapid growth and its sale to the Danish group Great Nordic. Sophie is the initiator of the project that led to the establishment of Hekat, that she cofounded in 2023.
Udo Fetzer (Key Account Manager) graduated from the University of Kaiserslautern, holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering. He has more than 30 years of experience in photonics and fiber optics. Before joining OFS (now Lightera) in 2017, he was working in different product management and business development roles at Hirschmann, JDSU, and Laser 2000. His deep knowledge and experience encompass passive and active optical components, network systems, optical test and measurement, and fiber sensing. His current focus is developing the business for Lightera in Europe for specialty fiber and photonics solutions.
Oliver Grass (Managing Director) has been pivotal in advancing hyperspectral imaging applications since the early 2000s. With deep expertise in optical technology and systems development, he has established inno-spec as a leader in machine vision, enhancing operational efficiency and material analysis accuracy. Actively involved in industry associations, Oliver's commitment to innovation and collaboration drives the evolution of image technology across various industries.
Aqsa Yar (Regulatory Affairs Officer) is a biomedical professional with over six years of experience at the crossroads of molecular biology and clinical trial regulatory affairs. She began at the Institut Pasteur, where she developed a molecular tool to detect antimalarial drug-resistance markers. Since 2021, she has been a Regulatory Affairs Manager at Gustave Roussy Promotion, leading EU CTR (536/2014) implementation, managing multinational CTIS submissions, and overseeing adult and pediatric oncology trials with multiple co-sponsors. She founded the CTIS working group within the ITCC consortium to support harmonized regulatory practices. She brings a dual scientific and regulatory expertise dedicated to advancing therapeutic development within robust, collaborative frameworks.
Christophe Javaud (Executive Director, Technology Transfer Office) leads the institution’s strategy for technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and strategic alliances in oncology. With over 20 years of executive-level experience, he has built a strong track record in managing intellectual property, fostering innovation, and driving successful collaborations between academia and industry. At Gustave Roussy, he plays a key role in facilitating the transfer of groundbreaking oncology research into real-world applications. His expertise has been instrumental in establishing licensing deals and strategic partnerships with leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Under his leadership, eight startups have been created between 2018 and 2025, reinforcing his commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. He holds a PhD in Biology-Sciences-Health and an Executive MBA from HEC Paris. In addition to his leadership in technology transfer, he is the Founder and Chairman of Glycode, an innovative startup specializing in yeast engineering for the production of high-quality biopharmaceuticals. He is also the inventor of three patents. Christophe is recognized for his leadership, customer-driven approach, and results-oriented mindset, making a significant impact in the biotechnology and life sciences industries.
Susmita Sridhar (Photonics Market Analyst), PhD, has a doctoral degree in Optics, Photonics and Image processing from Institut Fresnel, Aix-Marseille University (AMU), Marseille and The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), Polytechnic University of Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona. Her research career revolved around developing and optimizing optical imaging techniques such as Microscopy and Nanoscopy (SIM, SPT, PALM/STORM), Wide-Field Diffuse Optical systems (Polarization-gated optics), Hyperspectral Imaging etc. for various biomedical applications. For the past four years, she has worked at TEMATYS as the Report Production Manager and has been responsible for all European projects at the company.
