Program ​​​​​​​​​​

The main conference program will commence on the afternoon of October 14th and conclude on the end of the morning of October 16th.

A welcome reception is on the 14th and dinner on the 15th is included.

Keynotes

We are happy to announce the ISESSAH 2025 keynote speakers:

Mrs. Nancy De Briyne, DVM

Nancy De Briyne studied veterinary medicine in Ghent (Belgium), graduating in 1996. After working as a veterinary practitioner in Belgium and the UK, she works since 2000 for the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) being currently Executive Director of the FVE. Her overall role within FVE is to follow the strategy, oversee operations, and ensure the organization's goals and objectives are achieved. More specifically, she follows closely all dossiers in relation to veterinary medicines, animal health, AMR, animal welfare, and the status and role of the veterinary profession.

She has been a member of the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency representing the veterinary profession for 6 years [2016-2022].

She is a diplomate of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural medicine, subspecialty Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law, and is a member of the EU Platform on Animal Welfare and many other European committees on animal health, welfare and public health.

Prof. dr. Brecht Devleesschauwer, DVM

Brecht Devleesschauwer is a senior epidemiologist at Sciensano and head of the Service Health information. He is also appointed as visiting professor in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis at Ghent University(link is external). He conducts policy-driven public health research in the domain of composite measures of population health and health inequalities.

As a member of the World Health Organization Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (WHO/FERG(link is external), he contributes to the estimation of the global burden of foodborne disease. Currently, he is coordinating the Belgian National Burden of Disease Study, and chairing the European Burden of Disease Network(link is external). Brecht holds PhD degrees in Public Health and Veterinary Sciences, and MSc degrees in Biostatistics and Veterinary Medicine.

Prof. dr. Helena Hansson

Helena Hansson is professor of agricultural and food economics since 2018. She is also vice-dean at the faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, with a focus on multi- and interdisciplinary research and programme director of Mistra Food Futures.

Helena's research background is in agricultural and food economics. She has so far focused on farmer uptake of sustainable agricultural practices, farm management, farmer decision-making and the economics of certain strategic choices, and production economic analyses related to the efficiency of farm production.

Recently, her work has also been oriented towards the overall sustainability of the food system, including how food system sustainability can be assessed. She has worked extensively with interdisciplinary approaches where behavioural models have been used to explain decision-making, or to explain economic behaviour and economic performance, and where knowledge from the natural sciences is instrumental in the analyses.

Details regarding the program will be made available early summer.