People

On World Ocean Day, we celebrate the power of marine microbes

The ocean is one of Earth's biggest allies in buffering climate change. But some of its most important work happens out of sight, at the scale of molecules and microbes. At the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Sammy Pontrelli and his team study how marine microbes control the fate of carbon in the ocean, and what that might teach us about the future of our climate.

"Jump in, engage, and enjoy the ride!"

A conversation with expert Evelien Van Hamme on what it takes to understand the spatial dimension of life sciences

Building belonging: Inside Leuven’s Inclusion & Diversity Committee

The Inclusion & Diversity Committee in Leuven has grown into a vibrant, grassroots community where researchers, technicians, and communicators come together to make science more human, connected, and welcoming.

The very first cell division - Meet Tom Dendooven

Following a PhD and postdoc at Cambridge, Tom Dendooven recently joined the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology as group leader. Backed by an ERC Starting Grant, his research tackles sperm development and how this goes awry in male infertility. Vita Cooman and Florence Thys (both PhD students at CSB) ask him a some questions, ranging from moving abroad to his favorite beer.

From lab to patient: Why European biotech is at a crossroads

Innovation only succeeds when it demonstrably creates value for both patients and the healthcare system. How can biotech and pharmaceutical players design their R&D strategies so that medical innovation reaches patients faster, more precisely, and in an affordable way? An interview with Jérôme Van Biervliet and Frank Hulstaert.

Inside the science of endometriosis-associated pain

An Interview with Eleonora Persoons from the Vriens/Voets Lab and Vaidi Plovie from Endo.Insideout vzw

Introducing the Neurodiversity Guide: a workplace guide from the lived experience perspective

"This guide isn’t just for neurodivergent people — it’s for everyone"

Two labs, one question: MAGISTER begins

First laureates of the Fund Stéphanie Willems (King Baudouin Foundation), tackling glucocorticoid resistance in polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA)

From discovery to diagnosis: turning research insights into tools for patients

An interview with Siele Ceuppens, Senior Scientist at VIB Discovery Sciences

Building bridges from science to society

Called to Science with Jiska van der Reest

Germ-free mice and gut inflammation - Meet Lars Vereecke

As newly minted VIB Expert scientist and associate professor at UGent, Lars Vereecke leads the Host-Microbiota-Interaction lab at the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation research. His lab established the first Belgian germ-free and gnotobiotic mouse facility and is part of the Ghent Gut Inflammation group. He is also a group leader at the Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG).

Dimitra Sokolova studies astrocytes, microglia and T cells from autism to Alzheimer’s disease