Videos

Watching a baby grow up is fascinating, isn't it? Especially that magical moment when it takes its first steps as a toddler. But did you know that one in five hundred babies is born with a permanent brain injury and may never be able to walk independently? Nathalie De Beukelaer (KU Leuven) hopes to change this with her research👇

Out of breath after just eight steps up the stairs? That is the case every day for the 600,000 people in Belgium with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Physiotherapist Astrid Blondeel (KU Leuven) wants to help them using a personalised coaching programme and a smartphone app.

Hearing impairments play an important role in dyslexia. For example, people with dyslexia are less able to hear the subtle sound difference at the start of similar letters, such as the 'b' and the 'p'. By offering children adapted audio stories in nursery school, Shauni Van Herck wants to tackle these hearing problems at an early stage.

Imagine being sick and simply being able to ask your body what's going on and what it needs to get better. Well, the proteins in our body can tell us that. But it takes a long time for us to understand what they're saying. With his tool, QCquan.net, bioinformatician Joris Van Houtven is determined to speed up that process!

One in six Belgians is obese and thus runs an increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This disease can affect the entire liver, in which case a liver transplant is needed to save the patient. Anneleen Remmerie (Ghent University - VIB) is looking for a way to combat the disease without the need for a new liver.

"Evolution is like a race: the individual who can reproduce the fastest wins the race. But we all know of one race that was not won by the fastest..." Jana Helsen (KU Leuven - VIB) explains how evolution is sometimes a bit like the fable about the tortoise and the hare.

Lots of people dislike these black sweets. But did you know that liquorice candy might well contain an ingredient to help cure wounds? Esther Hoste investigates whether an active compound found in the root of the liquorice plant can heal diabetic wounds 👉 🎥

"We must learn to talk about death, also in the workplace". Xenia Geysemans investigates how employers can better support grieving employees. Currently, employers are often too absent. In this video, Xenia offers 4 concrete tips.

How come medications have long leaflets with a whole list of possible side effects? That is what Hanne Leysen investigates. She looks at how signals are transmitted in our body, zooming in on cellular communication.

Marjolein Orije investigates whether vaccinating pregnant women helps to provide their child with the necessary antibodies against childhood diseases, such as whooping cough. Her research shows that vaccinating the pregnant mother also helps to boost the child's immune system, even if it is born prematurely.

It is a relatively new and promising path in cancer research: the reuse of old, non-cancer drugs. In her PhD, Laurie Freire Boullosa focuses on an old rheumatism pill and examines whether it can be used as a weapon against cancer.

Ever heard of a sand fly? If this small fly stings you, you can catch the serious, tropical disease Leishmaniasis. This disease is not easy to combat, because the parasites are masters at hiding in your body. Luckily Laura Dirkx (UAntwerp) has a trick up her sleeve to trace them