Dr. Matthias Van Hul is a Senior Research Associate at UCLouvain, affiliated with the Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, the Louvain Drug Research Institute, and the WEL Research Institute in Belgium. His research focuses on the interactions between the gut microbiota and host metabolism, with particular interest in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related metabolic disorders. He combines mechanistic preclinical research with translational perspectives to identify bacterial species and pathways that influence metabolic health. In addition to his research activities, he supervises students and early-career researchers and teaches courses in human nutrition and molecular aspects of nutrition. 

Prof. Sebastiaan Dalle is a muscle and exercise physiologist at the University of Antwerp (MovAnt Research Group) and the University of Leuven (Exercise & Muscle Physiology Research Group). His research bridges preclinical and clinical approaches to unravel the mechanisms driving functional and molecular remodeling of skeletal muscle during ageing, disease, inactivity, and recovery. His recent work focuses on the endocannabinoid system as a modulator of muscle plasticity in degenerative conditions. By combining pharmacological and genetic interventions targeting endocannabinoid signaling in preclinical models, his research aims to enhance muscle health and improve overall functional capacity.

Prof. dr. Anneleen Malfliet is a researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. She is an expert in (chronic) pain and the role of lifestyle factors like nutrition and sleep in the development and maintenance of chronic (pain) disorders. 

Dr. Alexander Sweetman is a Senior Program Manager with the Australasian Sleep Association and has academic status at the University of Western Australia and Bond University, Australia. His research focuses on co-morbid insomnia and sleep apnoea, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, and improving the management of sleep disorders in primary care.

Prof. Dr. Karen Spruyt is a researcher at INSERM, Université Paris Cité, and Hôpital Robert-Debré, France, specialising in pediatric sleep and child neurodevelopment. Her work bridges clinical practice and translational research, fostering international collaborations to advance understanding of sleep’s critical role in childhood development. She serves as Chair of the Education Committee of the European Sleep Research Society, President-Elect of the International Pediatric Sleep Association, and the European representative on the World Sleep Society Governing Council. She is the founder of the world’s only pediatric sleep research training program accredited by the World Sleep Society. Dedicated to highlighting the importance of sleep for children’s health and development, she contributes to research, clinical care, and public health initiatives worldwide.