Videos

What does a duck have to do with your electricity consumption? Researcher Ellen Beckstedde (Vlerick Business School - KU Leuven) explains it to you in detail in this video. 

Picture two senior auditors: one is very meticulous in his work and always follows the rules. The other likes making shortcuts, by not closely following the rules. Which of these two will a junior auditor then imitate? And how does this affect his or her work quality? That's what Viola Darmawan (Vlerick Business School) is investigating. Find out more in the video. 

In her PhD, Annelies De wael studied nanomaterials - materials so small that you need an incredibly powerful microscope to see them. And even then you only see a fraction of them. That is why Annelies worked on mathematical models and simulations to be able to see the entire nanomaterial based on the incomplete picture. And that can help researchers develop the most diverse applications: from a ketchup bottle that empties easily to solar panels that produce even more renewable energy!

Snoring is very annoying in itself (especially for roommates), but sometimes there is more to it. In some people, the upper airway closes up to 15 times an hour during sleep. This condition has obstructive sleep apnoea. Sara Op de Beeck explains how she wants to use data to help patients get the best treatment, so that it can be quiet in their bedroom again. 😴

Cancer is a sneaky disease. For instance, cancer cells sometimes manage to disguise themselves, outrunning our immune system. Gils Roex (UAntwerpen - FWO) explains how equipping our white blood cells with a cleverly designed CAR could well help win the race against blood cancer. Want to know more? Fasten your seatbelts & watch the video 🏎

Did you know that the number of people with Alzheimer's disease is likely to triple by 2050? The good news is that for some years now, Alzheimer's research has been gaining momentum, thanks in part to innovative techniques. Lena Duchateau uses one such technique: in situ sequencing, or the Google Maps of the brain. She guides you through this in this video.

In 1933, the very first kidney transplant was performed. Unfortunately, the patient died two days later due to rejection symptoms. The development of anti-rejection drugs provided a solution, but also came with a price: over 1 in 5 patients now develop diabetes after a transplant. Yassine Laghrib (UAntwerpen) explains why and how doctors are looking for a solution.

People with hearing loss do not only struggle with hearing problems. Hearing loss can also cause loneliness, emotional problems, and even an increased risk of dementia in the elderly. So after hearing implant placement, one should not only focus on hearing, but also on quality of life, explains Ellen Andries.

Lasers are not just toys to entertain cats. They can be found in many applications, such as scanners in supermarkets or for facial recognition on your latest smartphone. But there are even more fascinating innovations ahead of us ... if we can build even better lasers. That's what Iakov Goldberg (KU Leuven - Imec) is hoping to achieve. Can you believe that some of these novel perovskite lasers are assembled very similar to how you prepare your breakfast sandwich? 🥪 

Do you remember Pac-Man, from that old skool computer game? Well, did you know that there are Pac-Mans in every single cell of our body? They're called enzymes. Some of these enzymes work too fast or too slow, and this can cause severe diseases. Michaela Prothiwa (KU Leuven) explains how she wants to track down these malfunctioning enzymes using a clever piece of chemistry.

Plants capture CO2 and, through photosynthesis, convert it into green leaves. Over the past 30 years, the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere has thus led to a widespread increase in the number of green leaves around the world. But recently, there has been a shift: the increase in the number of green leaves is slowing down even though CO2 levels are still rising. Vaidehi Narsingh (Imec - UAntwerp) explains why she is determined to find out what is happening.

Imagine if cars, windows, or even walls would be able to generate power? New, flexible, and ultra-thin perovskite solar cells could make this a reality, but there's a catch. Perovskite solar cells have a limited lifetime as they degrade under light and heat. Imec-researcher Wenya Song is looking to improve the lifespan of perovskite solar cells.