imec & MilliporeSigma present: It takes an ecosystem! MPS After Hours – hosted at the Belgian Ambassador’s Residence
May 28, 2026 | Washington, D.C., USA
Advancing microphysiological systems for drug discovery and personalized medicine. An evening reception hosted by imec and MilliporeSigma at the Belgian Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C.
Join us for an energizing evening at the Belgian Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C., dedicated to advancing life sciences innovation and microphysiological systems (MPS). Hosted after a full day at the MPS World Summit, this exclusive gathering brings together leaders from pharma and biotech, researchers, and regulatory authorities to connect, exchange ideas, and explore what comes next. The evening is designed to spark meaningful conversations that can shape the future of drug discovery.
Imec and MilliporeSigma invite you to help shape the conversations that will inspire the next wave of collaboration — bringing science, industry, and regulation closer together to turn vision into impact.
Why attend?
This exclusive event offers a rare chance to engage with leading experts, gain firsthand insights into groundbreaking MPS technologies, and build connections.
- Discover how MilliporeSigma views the future of drug discovery — with human‑relevant models such as organoids and organ‑on‑chip systems becoming central to more predictive, human‑focused biomedical research
- Learn how imec’s technologies and platforms are driving life sciences innovation, advancing in vitro modeling, and supporting personalized medicine through scalable, silicon-based MPS solutions.
- Get insights into imec and MilliporeSigma's joint vision and the journey we have embarked on — combining complementary strengths to develop the next generation of predictive, data‑rich MPS platforms.
Agenda
19:00 - Start
19:10 - Welcome by
- H.E. Frédéric Bernard, The Ambassador of Belgium to the United States
- Haiying Grunenwald, Head of Biology R&D at MilliporeSigma
- Charlotte D'Hulst, Portfolio Director - Life Sciences at imec
21:00 - End
Speakers
H.E. Frédéric Bernard, The Ambassador of Belgium to the United States
Frédéric Bernard is Belgium’s Ambassador in the United States starting February 2025. He represents His Majesty The King of the Belgians and Belgium’s federal government in the United States of America and in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He is responsible for the direction and work of the Embassy and its Consulates, including bilateral political and economic relations, visa and consular services. Before joining Washington, DC, Frédéric Bernard served as Head of Cabinet (Chief of Staff) of the President of the European Council (2020-2024), where he has played a pivotal role in shaping the European Union’s positions at the highest level. Frederic Bernard was also G7 sherpa for the European Union and negotiated for the Union the G7 statements between 2020 and 2024. From 2019 to 2020, he served as the Sherpa of the President of the European Council, engaging in negotiations with key stakeholders across EU institutions and Member States. Read more.
Haiying Grunenwald, Head of Biology R&D, MilliporeSigma
Haiying Grunenwald serves as Head of Biology Research & Development for the Discovery Solutions Business Unit within the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. In this role, she defines and executes the technology roadmap and R&D strategy across a broad biology portfolio in biomedical research and drug discovery. Her work focuses on transforming biology into decision-ready systems, leveraging integrated platforms across organoids, microphysiological systems (organs-on-chip), and multiomics for faster, more predictive insights. She leads a diverse innovation portfolio, balancing long-term technology investments with near-term commercial priorities, while building strategic collaborations with academic institutions, biotechnology companies, and industry partners to accelerate the translation of emerging technologies into scalable applications. Prior to joining Merck KGaA, Haiying served as Senior Director of R&D at Illumina, leading next-generation sequencing workflow development across research and clinical applications. Haiying holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Genetics and a B.S. in Biochemistry. She is recognized for her ability to translate complex scientific innovation into scalable, commercially viable solutions and for driving execution across global, cross-functional organizations.
Charlotte D'Hulst, Portfolio Director - Life Sciences, imec
In her role as Portfolio Director, Charlotte oversees imec’s offering strategy for the next generation of life sciences tools for the AI-first era of biology. Charlotte is an experienced entrepreneur with strong background in genetic engineering & biomedical sciences, driven by translating deep tech & basic science from bench to bedside. Based on her own academic work, she co-founded and built a start-up on a mission to decode and digitize the enigmatic sense of smell. As CEO of Yesse Technologies, Inc., headquartered in the thriving New York City biotech ecosystem, she raised over $10M and developed partnerships with nanotechnology R&D hub, imec, and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research, amongst others. In 2021, she managed the winddown of the company. Charlotte is trained in bioengineering at the KU Leuven (Belgium) and received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Antwerp (Belgium). She completed her post-doctoral training working on the molecular biology of olfaction at the City University of New York in New York City, US.
Location
Residence of the Ambassador of Belgium to the United States
2300 Foxhall Rd NW
Washington, DC 20007, USA
Registration
Please complete the form below to express your interest in attending. Due to limited capacity and to ensure balanced representation from across the industry, confirmations will be sent after review.
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