Videos

Our ageing population is not only growing but is also becoming more diverse. Labour migrants who came to Belgium last century are part of today's ageing population. Most older adults prefer to live at home for as long as possible, but what is 'home' to older adults with a migration background? To explore this, PhD researcher Micheline Phlix conducted 45 interviews with older migrants.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. One out of 4 people dies from it. To improve treatment options for patients suffering from heart disease, mechanical engineer Mathias Peirlinck develops digital twins of patient hearts. Digital what? Watch Mathias (and his digital twin) explain it in this video.

Anyone who has ever looked for Waldo knows how hard he is to find. In her research on lung cancer, Rebekka Van Hoof (Uhasselt - KU Leuven - VITO) faces a similar task: she is searching within more than 100,000 so-called extracellular vesicles for 2 types -say 'Waldos'- that can help detect the disease early. But she is determined to narrow her search field. How? Watch her explain it in this video. 

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. 

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 ✋🏻 🛑

Did you know that the sea can penetrate our lands and water resources unnoticed? Today, we find that saltwater in our polders, up to several kilometers inland. This salt water can make agricultural land and water supplies unusable. To find out exactly how far inland and how deep the saltwater problem reaches, Wouter Deleersnyder and his colleagues use a helicopter, a giant metal detector, and their knowledge of physics & geology. How all of this works, is explained by Wouter in this video.

For children with autism or attention or motor disorders, it is quite a challenge to participate in activities such as playing tag, taking a test, or staying over at a friend's house. Marieke Coussens and her colleagues mapped the barriers that such young children experience. This knowledge is important to be able to break down those barriers and really allow these children to participate.

"Muy exclusivo: las fotos del horror" is written on the cover of this Argentine newspaper. That headline refers to the photos of the dead body of a young woman that the journalists shamelessly published. "Fortunately, there are also writers in Latin America who describe gender violence in a more ethical way, in so-called chronicles", says Eva Van Hoey (UGent). She investigates how gender violence is represented in the literary genre of the chronicle.

In Belgium, around 10,000 dogs suffer from epilepsy 🐕 This makes it the most common neurological disorder. Unfortunately, the seizures are often difficult to explain and thus to treat. Fien Verdoodt (UGent) explains why the cause might lie in intestinal bacteria...

Refugees, migrants and ethnic minorities face complex problems, such as trauma, a loss of social network as well as discrimination. As a result, this can lead to mental and drugs problems. But do these people receive equitable drug treatment when they need it, here in Flanders? That's what Charlotte De Kock (Ghent University) devotes her research to.

Did you know that in the Belgium Government there are 7 times more political workers than elected politicians? That is quite a lot more than in the Netherlands, where an elected official has about 3 political staff members. Why is that and is this beneficial for democracy? Pieter Moens (UGent) shines his light in this video.

Sending out lots of CVs is no guarantee of finding a good job. Yet much research still focuses on the quantity of job-seeking behaviour, the time and effort that job-seekers spend on their search. Jolien Stremersch (UGent) wants jobseekers to search smarter for a job, instead of harder.