News
Welcome back to the ACADI Newsletter! We hope you are enjoying your summer and taking a well-earned break. Here are some of our team’s latest updates.
Leadership
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Sophie Pilleron on her new leadership roles! From July 2025- June 2028, Dr. Pilleron will serve as a member of the Mentoring Committee at the Society for Epidemiologic Research. For more about the society, follow this link: https://epiresearch.org/
Dr. Pilleron has also been appointed International Society for Geriatric Oncology (SIOG)’s National Representative for Luxembourg. In this role, she will sit on the strategic National Representatives Committee and collaborate closely with other SIOG committees to ensure that activities are adapted to local contexts while contributing to global impact.
Introduction to Causal Inference training
From July 7–11 2025, Dr. Clémence Bafei completed the Introduction to Causal Inference course led by Dr. Peter Tennant and his team in Leeds, United Kingdom. Dr. Tennant is known for translating causal inference theory into applied health and social science research, including a landmark review on the use of directed acyclic graphs. He is also widely recognised for his engaging teaching. We look forward to welcoming him to Luxembourg and continuing this conversation within our local research community.
This five-day training provided a comprehensive and practical foundation in key concepts and techniques in causal inference to support the application of causal thinking in our research. These insights will directly inform Dr. Bafei’s current work and strengthen ACADI’s methodological capacities.
For those interested in this methodology, we have invited Dr. Tennant to give a talk in Luxembourg on the 1st of October 2025 with support from an FNR RESCOM grant. More details are on their way, so don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date!
Public & Patient Involvement (PPI) Workshops
Building on the success of our first workshop in June, we hosted a second session with adults aged 65+ to co-design research priorities. Participants identified healthcare communication as a key area for improvement. Over the course of two hours, they shared valuable insights into how older adults experience healthcare communication in Luxembourg, sparking an important conversation about how research can address their most pressing concerns. We look forward to continuing this dialogue in October to co-develop a project that is both meaningful and impactful.
Internship
At the end of July, we said goodbye to an intern in our team, Ornela Ingrid Siapdje Tchomkem. She spent 6 months in the team as part of her Master’s degree. We wish her all the very best in her future endeavours!
Hello! My name is Ornela, and I am originally
from Cameroon. I am currently completing my master’s degree in epidemiology and
biostatistics at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), with graduation scheduled
for September.
For my six-month internship and master’s thesis, I have had the privilege of
working with the ACADI team under the supervision of Dr. Sophie Pilleron and
Dr. Berta Portugal (PASH Team). My research focused on estimating the causal
impact of moderate to vigorous physical activity on breast cancer risk among
adults aged 70 and older.
This experience introduced me to advanced causal inference methods, a field I
had never explored before. At first, I felt intimidated by these new concepts,
but thanks to Sophie and the supportive ACADI team, I was able to overcome my
initial fears. The team encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, deepen my
understanding, and truly engage with every aspect of the research process.
Working in this collaborative environment ignited my passion for scientific
research and inspired me to pursue further studies, including potential PhD
opportunities. Although my internship has come to an end, I am extremely
grateful for all the knowledge and skills I have acquired. I leave the team
with invaluable experiences and a solid foundation for my future research
projects.
Thank you to Sophie and everyone at ACADI for making this journey so enriching
and transformative!” ~ Ornela SIAPDJE
Until next time, keep well!
ACADI Team