Professor Dr Séverine Vermeire
KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Professor Dr Séverine Vermeire is Head of the Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism at KU Leuven. She has been lead investigator on several RCTs for new therapies in IBD. Her research has resulted in >500 peer-reviewed articles and focusses on the role of the microbiome and genetic susceptibility in IBD and identifying predictors of treatment response. She has been awarded several grants, including an Advanced H2020 European Research Council grant (2016–2021), and she was formerly President of ECCO (2014–2016) and the Belgian IBD Research and Development Group (2011–2013).

Dr Gareth Parkes
Royal London Hospital, London, UK

Dr Gareth Parkes is Clinical Lead for gastroenterology at the Royal London Hospital. His interests include IBD clinical trials, the role of the microbiota and probiotics, and the use of technology in the IBD clinic. He has sat on the British Society of Gastroenterology IBD Committee and has a range of publications in the field of IBD, GI microbiota and IBS. He is Co-founder and Medical Director of Ampersand Health, which developed the award-winning app ‘My IBD Care’, using digital technology and behavioural science to improve patients’ lives as well as developing platforms for other IMIDs.