Newsletter

VUB research compares language technology with classical biomedical methods How do small changes in our DNA influence how our bodies function? That is the central question in the PhD research of Konstantina Tzavella at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Within the interdisciplinary TumorScope project and the VUB/ULB (IB)² Interuniversity Institute of Brussels, she explored how artificial intelligence (AI) can help predict which genetic mutations contribute to diseases such

With FACT, we turn climate change into an opportunity to accelerate innovation. The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is bringing together its expertise in sustainable technology within a new interdisciplinary research institute: FACT (Flanders Alliance for Climate Technology). In collaboration with industry and government, FACT aims to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral society and drive forward technological innovation. “Sustainable innovation doesn’t happen in i

Four researchers with VUB ties contribute to the seventh IPCC report When world leaders meet in November at the UN Climate Summit in Brazil, the spotlight will once again fall on the scientific foundation of global climate policy: the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The next edition — the seventh IPCC report, to be released in 2028, will feature a notably strong Brussels presence. Four researchers with ties to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VU

VUB philosopher honored as Atheist of the Year On November 15, philosopher and former VUB professor Jean Paul Van Bendegem will receive the title Atheist of the Year, a label he accepts with both a wink and a healthy dose of nuance. “I’m not a church-basher,” he says, “just someone who reflects on what it means to live without gods.” He speaks from his home in Ghent, surrounded by towering bookshelves and under the watchful eye of his elderly cat, Bonnie Prince Charlie. For V

VUB researchers call for greater focus on early detection and prevention Every year, around 1,500 people in Belgium are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The disease is increasingly affecting younger patients and is usually discovered only in an advanced stage. As part of World Pancreatic Cancer Month, researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and doctors from UZ Brussel are urgently calling for greater attention to early detection and prevention. “Pancreatic canc

A voice that refuses to be silenced Writer and slam poet Hind Eljadid has been awarded the 2025 Human Rights Award by the Liga voor Mensenrechten (League for Human Rights). The organization honors her for her uncompromising commitment to naming injustice and for her courage to speak out “regardless of the consequences.” The award stems from an incident in early 2024, when Eljadid was detained for six hours following an action during the official celebration of Belgium’s EU pr

The global rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is one of the greatest health challenges of our time. At the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), biologist Jessie Vandierendonck has been working on an innovative solution: using bacteriophages — viruses that specifically infect and destroy bacteria. Bacteriophages, or simply phages, have been known for over a century but are now regaining attention as a promising alternative to

Sourdough bread is making a major comeback. It’s praised for being pure, nutritious, and full of character. But what exactly makes this bread so special? In his PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), researcher Víctor González Alonso delved deep into the heart of the fermentation process — and discovered how wheat fibers influence not only the texture but also the flavor of bread. At the center of his research are arabinoxylans (AX), dietary fibers naturally present in

The Antarctic ice sheet is losing mass at an increasing rate due to cracks and fractures in its ice shelves. This is the conclusion of new research by Maaike Izeboud, postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and her colleagues from TU Delft. Their findings, published in Nature Climate Change , show how this damage has evolved over the past decades and what the consequences could be under different climate scenarios. Izeboud and her team created a uniqu

The message is loud and clear: it’s time to finally move forward with the reform of Belgium’s abortion law. In an opinion piece, Raymonda Verdyck, chair of deMens.nu , urges politicians to stop looking away from the reality faced by thousands of women. “Those who are dealing with an unwanted pregnancy today cannot wait,” she writes pointedly. Ethical progress on pause Last week once again showed how fragile ethical progress can be. In Parliament, the proposals to relax aborti

Extra attention for relapse during Breast Cancer Awareness Month From left to right: Elisabeth Rabaey, Damya Laoui, Alex Agnew, Yamina Krossa, Joris Verluyten October traditionally marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, highlighting the most common cancer among women. Although survival rates have improved significantly, the risk of relapse remains high: one in seven women faces a recurrence within ten years. At the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Professor Damya Laoui and her

Fermentation is as old as humanity itself, yet the microorganisms that drive this process remain surprisingly mysterious. With her PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), bioengineer Louise Vermote helped change that. Using advanced DNA sequencing techniques, she uncovered the invisible world of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi that shape our food, from Belgian lambic beer to Korean rice vinegar. “Fermentation is an ancient process, but only now can we truly see which microor

At the start of the new academic year, the FWO SBO Engine project is launching its website — and with it, the first large-scale study in Flanders to systematically map the ethnic gap in higher education. The project, officially titled Tackling the EthNic Gap IN Higher Education , is a collaboration between VUB, KU Leuven, and UHasselt, and aims not only to uncover the structural causes of inequality but also to offer concrete solutions. “Today, fifty percent of young people i

How far can we push the Standard Model of particle physics? According to young researchers Kunal Gautam and Eduardo Ploerer — doctoral students at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the University of Zurich — the end is nowhere in sight. Their work provides crucial building blocks for the Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee), the planned successor to CERN’s current Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The FCC-ee will be an unprecedented precision instrument — but that precision re

VUB researcher Michaël Hinderdael coordinates large-scale GRADΞD project on innovative material combinations At the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the ambitious GRADΞD project officially launched on October 1, 2025, under the leadership of researcher Michaël Hinderdael. With a €2.8 million grant from the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), the four-year project aims to make 3D printing technology smarter and more versatile by combining multiple materials within a single

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has a remarkable Brussels touch. One of the laureates, Omar Yaghi, has maintained close ties for many years with both the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Professor emeritus Paul Geerlings (VUB, General Chemistry research group) explains that Yaghi is a member of the International Scientific Committee for Chemistry of the Solvay Institutes. “In that role, he helps set the direction of the renowned

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is taking a leading role in the fight against the adulteration of argan oil, the precious “liquid Moroccan gold.” For her doctoral research, conducted in collaboration with Mohammed V University in Rabat, Meryeme El Maouardi developed innovative methods to rapidly and accurately verify the quality and authenticity of argan oil. Science against fraud Argan oil is prized worldwide for its culinary and cosmetic properties, but its rarity make

On September 23, 2025, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) officially opened the Centre for Martial Arts and Science  (CEMAS) — Belgium’s first martial arts expertise center. The 800 m² facility was made possible thanks to the support of VUB, Sport Vlaanderen, the Flemish Brussels Fund, the Flemish Community Commission, and the Flemish Boxing League. A center where sport, education, and research meet CEMAS combines sports infrastructure, education, and scientific research, u

Research by Eva Kimpe (VUB, I-CHER and the Research Centre for Digital Medicine) shows how treatments and socio-economic conditions affect the long-term survival of women with invasive breast cancer. Through a unique linkage of three national databases — the Belgian Cancer Registry, the InterMutualistic Agency, and the Crossroads Bank for Social Security — researchers were able to analyze, at the individual level, the medical trajectories, healthcare costs, socio-economic bac

Renowned psychiatrist Dirk De Wachter has been living with metastatic cancer for four years, but he continues to speak about hope, connection, and humanity. In a candid interview, he reflects on digital polarization, loneliness, technology, self-determination, and the finiteness of life. Polarization and digital communication According to De Wachter, social media reinforces rigidity and black-and-white thinking. They create bubbles where nuance disappears. Yet he also sees op