What are the 'HELT Talks' ?
HELT stands for Health, Ethics, Law, and Technology – four broad subject areas that intersect each other in discourses around improving quality and access to health care, or advancing medical research beyond the state-of-the-art. Following on the success of the HELT Symposium, our annual flagship event which brings together representatives from the academia, industry, research organisations, healthcare professionals and policymakers, the HELT Talks was conceived as a year-round (monthly) event, providing a dynamic platform for thought-provoking discussions and stimulating debates on the future of digital health and care, through the prism of regulatory responses and relevant policy initiatives.
What is the typical format of a session at HELT Talks?
HELT Talks sessions are typically divided into two parts. In the first part, each speaker gives a presentation on a specific topic, touching upon particular challenges and open issues around the integration of technology in the realm of health care that require delving into legal and regulatory frameworks. The second part of the session aims at encouraging a deeper level of reflection on the topic under discussion, through organic conversations between the speakers and the audience.
What kind of topics are covered at HELT Talks?
HELT Talks cover a breadth of topics on law, ethics, health and technology, ranging from legal challenges for the use of health data and regulatory issues concerning advanced medical technology, to the use of artificial intelligence in clinical settings and the application of ethical principles in health care.
TALK of the Month
28 May 2026 | 13:00-14:30
The Telemedicine Paradox: Why Data Moves but Care Does Not
During the session, Kwaku Yeboah will present her recent paper on the persistent fragmentation of the EU legal framework for cross-border telemedicine. The study examines the inherent tension between the EU’s internal market logic – which promotes the free movement of services – and the Member States’ retained competence over health system organization under Article 168(7) TFEU. By analysing the limitations of the 2011 Patients’ Rights Directive, the paper evaluates whether the European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation and the broader European Health Union can establish a more coherent regulatory foundation for digital mobility.
Speaker
Wendy Kwaku Yeboah
PhD Candidate, University of Bologna
Wendy Kwaku Yeboah is a Ph.D. Candidate in EU Law at the University of Bologna, currently serving as a Visiting Researcher at KU Leuven. Her research project, “The Regulation Governing Cross-Border Telemedicine in the EU Internal Market,” examines how EU law shapes the delivery of telemedicine services across Member States. She focuses in particular on how core internal market principles (e.g. the freedom to provide services, patient mobility, and the emerging framework for digital health) apply to this rapidly evolving sector, while also mapping the regulatory gaps that currently limit its full potential. Wendy’s commitment to the themes at the heart of her research is further reflected in her role as co Chair of the Young Scholars Interest Group of the European Association of Health Law (EAHL). In this capacity, she contributes to strengthening the visibility and impact of emerging scholars in health law, medical law, pharmaceutical law, and biolaw, while supporting the broader mission of the EAHL.
Location
VUB Main Campus | | Learning & Innovation Center - LIC.5.14 (Board Room)
Address: Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Etterbeek, Brussels
Direct access to LIC Building via Pleinlaan (Entrance 13) or Triomflaan (Entrance 6)
Registration
This is an in-person event, free of charge for all participants.
Registration to the event is mandatory. You can register here: HELT Talks 2025/26 | Session 06 - Registration Form
Contact
Interested to learn more about HELT Talks and what’s up next? Contact Ashwinee Kumar at ashwinee.kumar@vub.be
Next up
HELT Talks 2025-26 Session #7 (TBC)