Videos

About 1 billion people contract a fungal infection every year. Often it is only a superficial infection, but in some cases, it is worse and the fungus can get into the bloodstream. If that happens, you only have one chance in two of surviving. Jana Nysten wants to help increase that chance of survival by looking for a new medicine.

About half of the elderly people suffer from pain in the shoulders, hips, or knees. They can be helped with artificial implants, but unfortunately, the current implants are not extremely durable, so many patients have to undergo repeated surgery. Cong Hou (KU Leuven) and his colleagues are developing new, more durable implants. Their ultimate goal: one life, one surgery.

Coconut milk, coconut water, coconut oil,... More and more coconut products are popping up in our supermarket. But soon the supply of coconuts will no longer be able to follow the demand. Luckily, Hannes Wilms & his KU Leuven colleagues are developing a new method to grow millions of palms starting from one single coconut, as to save us from a coconut crisis.

Last summer, Wallonia experienced massive rainfall, resulting in deadly floods. Did you know that we only expect such weather once every 400 years at the most? We can calculate this because we have been measuring precipitation in our country for more than 120 years. But with 120 years of data, how (well) can you predict 400 years from now? Jorn Van de Velde will tell in this video. 

How would you feel if you were always labeled as "non-Dutch-speaking", even though you often use Dutch throughout the day? Graziela Dekeyser (KU Leuven) is doing research on emotions in multilingualism.

When we say Paris, you probably have a vivid image of the city, and think of the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramid of the Louvre - even if you've never been there. "We remember cities and are fascinated by them, even before we visit them - through photography." But what image do you have of the lesser-known 'Little Paris', the city of Bucharest?

What if you only had 15 months to live? Hard to imagine, right? Yet every day, around 1,000 people worldwide hear this news. The verdict: glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. Yet a small group of patients manages to survive for more than 10 years with such a brain tumor. Brecht Decraene wants to finds out why.

You might think that slavery is something from the past, but it's not. Even today over 40 million people are being exploited through prostitution, forced labor or organ trade globally. There is a lot of research on human trafficking, but little attention is paid to the experiences of victims afterward. Through interviews, Victoria Wozniak-Cole is giving them a voice. She hopes to better understand the negative treatment they get and help break the stigma they face.

Have you ever been so stressed that you couldn't function properly? The same happens in the brain cells of patients with the nerve disease multiple sclerosis (MS) 🧠 Certain cells that help our brain to recover can no longer function properly due to too much stress. Lieve Van Veggel wants to help protect these cells. In this way, she and her colleagues hope to find a new way to slow down or even stop the progression of MS ✋🏻 🛑

Our memory does not work like a video camera. We can remember details or entire events that we never actually experienced. This phenomenon is called 'false memories' and it can be problematic in court, where the decision of whether someone is guilty or not can rely entirely on memory evidence. Charlotte Bücken researches if memory for negative events can be compromised by false denials.

Meet Karimi Solomon, a researcher at KU Leuven - FWO. Karimi studies the aroma of apples. Does that mean he sniffs apples all day long? Not exactly. Watch the video to hear Karimi explain why & how he studies the aroma of apples.

Snoring can be very annoying for your bed partner, but it can also seriously disrupt your own sleep as a snorer. Because did you know that snoring is sometimes accompanied by periods in which you literally stop breathing - sometimes even for minutes at a time? That is the case with obstructive sleep apnea. Marijke Dieltjens wants to restore peace and quiet in the bedroom by helping people who suffer from this with a small, personalized mouth brace. She explains how this works in this video.