The University of Namur enthusiastically welcomes Thomas Balligand, who recently joined its ranks as a lecturer. Graduating in medicine from UCLouvain in 2012, Thomas first proved himself as an assistant in internal medicine at the Grand Hôpital de Charleroi, where he was able to progress in several specialties such as cardiology, gastroenterology and pneumology. His career path also took him to CHU Saint-Luc, where he deepened his knowledge of nephrology.

Throughout his career, Thomas has developed a keen interest in research. His academic career began when he became a research student in Prof. Emile Van Schaftingen's laboratory at the Institut de Duve, an opportunity offered to medical students at UCLouvain to introduce them to basic research. This experience was decisive for him, as it made him realize later on that clinical practice was not entirely in line with his aspirations. He then decided to devote himself to a thesis in basic research, working under Prof. Stefan Constantinescu at the de Duve Institute to explore signaling pathways in hematopoiesis, with a particular focus on myeloproliferative syndromes.

From 2015 to 2019, Thomas was a 100% Télévie-funded researcher, which enabled him to immerse himself deeply in his research work. At the end of his PhD, he had the choice of continuing his medical assistantship or embarking on a career as a post-doctoral researcher. He opted for research, continuing his path at Harvard in 2020, where he worked on nanobodies with applications in applied biology. This experience led to concrete results, illustrated by a collaborative article with his colleague Xin Lui, showing how nanobodies binding to circulating immunoglobulin light chains enabled the development of a treatment for influenza. He has thus contributed to the creation of universal antiviral coverage, capable of tackling all flu variants, not just seasonal strains.

In parallel, Thomas also explored the use of lectins to target virus-infected cells or cancer cells, underlining his interest in the potential therapeutic applications of his research. In 2024, he joined UNamur as a lecturer, replacing Yves Poumay, where he passes on his knowledge of histology and cytology while continuing his fundamental research work.

"I'm passionate about awakening scientific curiosity in young people. I've already been able to mentor several students in Boston, PhD students and memoranda students. I appreciate the role of mentor", explains Thomas Balligand. At UNamur, he is forging collaborations with colleagues Stéphane Vincent, Yoann Wouters and Xavier De Bolle, and benefits from CDR funding for his projects.

he will soon set up his own research group within the Molecular Physiology Research Unit (URPhyM, NARILIS, UNamur).

His ambition is to work on the glycosylation phenomena of transmembrane proteins, in particular to target cancerous or virus-infected cells through his research on lectins, as well as the use of nanobodies in the field of immunotherapy. With his expertise and passion for research, Thomas Balligand is well positioned to advance research at UNamur while inspiring the next generation of scientists.

As a lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine since September 1, 2023, and a member of the NARILIS Institute, Charlotte Beaudart is more specifically involved in the biomedical sciences master's degree, specializing in clinical research.She is also involved in the master's degree EMOTION - Erasmus Mundus.

For nearly fifteen years, Charlotte Beaudart has been conducting research into the physiological aspects of aging, exploring areas such as sarcopenia, fragility and intrinsic capacities.

At the age of 50, muscle mass and strength decline significantly. Beyond a certain threshold, this phenomenon is known as sarcopenia. It has an impact on physical performance, promotes walking disorders and is a factor in frailty in the elderly.

With over 200 scientific publications to her credit and an H-index of 56, Charlotte Beaudart has made a name for herself in the field of aging research. One of her most notable achievements is the creation of the SarcoPhAge cohort, bringing together over 530 participants aged over 65 in Liège. This prospective study spans almost a decade, providing valuable information on the dynamics of aging. In addition, Dr. Beaudart has distinguished herself for developing the SarQoL, the first validated quality-of-life questionnaire specific to sarcopenia.

Translated into 35 languages, it is now used on a daily basis by clinicians: "From a medical point of view, explains Charlotte Beaudart, it's great to be able to increase muscle strength in both arms, for example. But what's in it for the patient?

In the course of her career as a researcher, Charlotte Beaudart has also developed a number of methodological expertises, skills in biostatistics and meta-synthesis of the scientific literature, which can be transposed to numerous themes. This enables her to collaborate not only between departments, but also between faculties.She also conducts research in health economics. In this context, she is mainly interested in studies of patient preferences, studies that enter into the dynamics of the evolution of public health policies and more patient-centered healthcare models.

In December 2023, Charlotte Beaudart was rewarded for her work with an AstraZeneca Foundation Prize in partnership with the FNRS and the FWO.

Since December 15, she also holds the title of "Namuroise of the Year".

Deeply attached to her roots, she is delighted to have joined the University of Namur as a teacher-researcher, an opportunity that allows her to return to work in the Namur basin. Receiving the "Namuroise of the Year" award after just one year back in her province is a particularly valuable recognition. After devoting her research to the aging of residents in the province of Liège, she now wishes to put all her energy into serving the senior citizens of the province of Namur.

Discover her portrait produced by the FNRS as part of the "Visages de la recherche" campaign carried out in collaboration with Le Soir and Canal Z.

Developed in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the "One Health" EU illustrates UNamur's commitment to promoting active, interdisciplinary education. As Annick Castiaux, Rector of the University, pointed out, "Health must be considered as a sustainable development issue. The crucial question to ask is: What must become of health training to meet these challenges?"

This new unit also aims to reinforce the university's three fundamental missions: teaching, research and service to society. Indeed, the "One Health" EU is part of the drive to provide better training to innovate, by promoting interdisciplinarity and partnerships, which are essential if we are to have a real impact on today's public health challenges. The Rector also supports excellence in health research at UNamur, via the Narilis Research Institute, which does its utmost to conduct high-quality basic research via innovative, collaborative and multidisciplinary health research. Finally, the "One Health" philosophy also intends to consider health as a common good and thus act in the service of society via sustainable, sustainable policies.

At the inauguration, Yves Coppieters, Minister of Health, Environment, Solidarity, Social Economy, Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights, emphasized the importance of a global, connected approach. "We need to think of healthcare as an orchestra with different instruments that ultimately become one. The Covid-19 health crisis reminded us that everything interacts, everything is connected. Today, however, we lack a global vision. We need to operationalize it, and I thank the University of Namur for having succeeded in setting up such a teaching unit ", shares the Minister.

Yves Coppieters also stressed the need for concrete action to rethink prevention. "To prevent better, we mustn't believe in simply changing individual behavior. Rather, we need to transform the environments in which they evolve and thus truly promote health." The Minister also spoke of the major challenges we face, and for which he is committed to implementing concrete initiatives: "We have been confronted with a good number of cases that have generated large-scale consequences. Take the problem of antibiotic resistance, which poses risks to human and animal health. Or PFAS, which also have major consequences for ecosystems. Hence, once again, the interest in acting for a single health," explains Yves Coppieters.

From this inauguration, we will remember that to make "One Health" a reality, it was necessary to integrate three fundamental principles:

1. Interdisciplinarity: bringing together experts from different disciplines for a comprehensive approach.
2. Operationalization: translating concepts into concrete action.
3. A systemic and global vision: not limiting health to a restricted framework, but embedding it in a global dynamic.

Grégoire Wiëers, Director of the Department of Medicine, insisted on the need to integrate the link between environment and health right from university training.

The teaching unit will draw on the expertise of numerous teacher-researchers from different disciplines, including Frédéric Silvestre, Nathalie Kirschvink and Caroline Canon. It will also encourage students to work together on environmental health issues, producing concrete materials (posters, videos, articles) to raise awareness of these challenges. In addition, the "One Health" EU aims to respond to the various sustainable development goals by constantly making links between the various climatic and environmental events and the themes addressed within the different SDGs.

The establishment of such an EU is not without its challenges. Amélie Lachapelle, professor at the Faculty of Law, highlighted the difficulties associated with the Belgian legal framework. "Decompartmentalizing disciplines and linking their dimensions is not simple in a federal state like Belgium, where competences are divided between different levels of power. But we need to find solutions to make progress towards a meaningful evolution," explains the professor.

Jean-Michel Dogné, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, moreover reiterated the importance of post-Covid interdisciplinary collaboration. "Since the health crisis, we've been talking about a 'world after'. This world must be one of cooperation between disciplines. This is the very essence of 'One Health' and of this new teaching unit", concludes the Dean.

Today, issues relating to global health, the environment and sustainable development are at the heart of societal concerns. The "One Health" EU is a concrete response to these challenges. Its ultimate aim is clear: to enable students to develop cross-disciplinary skills to identify the causes and consequences of environmental alterations on health, and to be in a position to take concrete action for better prevention.

With this initiative, UNamur is fully committed to a dynamic of educational and societal innovation, helping to shape tomorrow's healthcare players, capable of embedding their practice in an interconnected and sustainable vision of the world.

Throughout the world, there has been a significant gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for years. Although women have made immense progress in terms of their participation in higher education, they remain under-represented in these scientific categories.

To promote the empowerment of women and girls in STEM and raise awareness of the need to include women in science and technology, in 2015 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed February 11 "International Day for Women and Girls in Science".

February 13, 2025 | 5th edition of Women & Girls in science @ UNamur

This annual event aims to promote women's and girls' access to, and full participation in, science and technology. It serves as a reminder of the important role of women in the scientific community and is an excellent opportunity to encourage girls and young women to participate in scientific developments.

At the Laboratoire d'Analyses par Réactions Nucléaires de l'UNamur (LARN) we have a particle gas pedal which, among other things, produces protons and alpha particles. These particles can be used to irradiate cancer cell cultures to destroy their genetic material and prevent them from proliferating. In clinical practice, X-rays are usually used, as they are easier to produce, less bulky and less costly. But in terms of effectiveness, we hope to achieve better results with charged particles, such as the one used here. This is the basis of proton therapy.

What is your involvement in the European university alliance UNIVERSEH focused on the theme of space?

Ionizing radiation is also encountered in space. Astronauts on the International Space Station are exposed to doses far more intense than those received on the Earth's surface. This radiation has effects on living organisms.

In this context, I'm working on the RISE (Rotifer in Space) project, launched in 2013 with Boris Hespeels and Karin Van Doninck, in partnership with the Unité de Recherche en Biologie Environnementale et évolutive (URBE) at UNamur, ULB and SCK-CEN. This project focuses on rotifers, organisms that are extremely resistant to various conditions: cold, temperature variations, desiccation, a very high radiation dosage... Our aim is to understand how they would react in an environment such as the ISS and whether they develop particular strategies to protect their genomic integrity, which could be used to protect humans in space.

Do you think the fact that you're a woman influences your career as a scientist?

First and foremost, whether male or female, scientists are rather special animals: they eat, sleep and think science all the time. But then again, you have to have the opportunity to do so. When you're a woman, in today's society, that can be more complicated, not least because of the many clichés that persist.

I remember one Whitsun Monday when I was emptying my washing machine when I got a message from a colleague "I'm reading a great review!"And there I thought "Great, me, I'm cleaning underpants"We don't all live the same reality. There are those who have a family, a house, with all the mental load that goes with it. And then there are those who don't have children (yet) and have less to think about outside their job. Sometimes I tell myself that I have to continually catch up with people who are much more competitive, but who also have much more time to devote to research.

What do you think could facilitate and encourage the careers of women scientists?

I teach all first-year science students and I notice that there are a lot of girls in the life science streams like biology or veterinary medicine, but far fewer in mathematics or physics. It's quite unbalanced. So how can we encourage more women to take up these disciplines? I think it starts very early.

Interest in science is built up from childhood, through education and the image of the world passed on to them by their families. It's not at the age of 18 that you have to ask the question. We need to show them the horizon of possibilities, and make sure they understand that science is neither "for girls" nor "for boys".

The right time to awaken this curiosity is when children start to reason, to ask themselves questions: why does the sun always rise in the same place? What happens to an ice cube when it melts? Why does a cold glass fog up when you blow on it? That's when you can accompany them, explain things to them and encourage them to look for answers. We need to give children a taste for explaining and questioning the world.

What message would you like to pass on to a woman who might be hesitant to go into science?

I think the message is valid for all students, whether boys or girls: why do you want to do this or that study? What's your motivation? If it's because your parents advised you to, that's not a good reason. If it's because you're strong in a subject so you're going to study it, that might not be a good justification either. What counts above all is desire. The desire to understand, to discover, to question the world around us.

Do you think the fact that you're a woman influences your career as a scientist?

I think being a woman can influence a scientific career because of the stereotypes that still exist, but it should reinforce our desire to change mentalities and inspire other women.

What do you think could facilitate and encourage the careers of women scientists?

We should give greater visibility to the contributions of women in the scientific world, encourage their input and value their often underestimated historical role. I also think it's important to combat gender bias and create a more inclusive working environment.

Do you think that the fact that you're a woman influences your career as a scientist?

I think that all facets of my identity influence and will influence my career: my gender, my age, my nationality, etc., whether in the way I approach my career or the way I'm viewed by my colleagues.

What do you think could facilitate and encourage the careers of women scientists?

All career projects should be encouraged and supported, regardless of gender. Everyone cites Marie Curie as an example, but that's just the tree that hides the forest. Let's talk about Verra Rubin, Margaret Burbidge, Henrietta Leavitt and all their colleagues. Women in science are not a novelty or a rarity, but they are forgotten and erased names.

What message would you like to pass on to a woman who might be hesitating to go into astronomy?

Why are you hesitating? This career is gripping, exciting, testing, overwhelming and rewarding. You have to be motivated and ready to give it your all. Your gender doesn't affect your skills, so if you're tempted, GO FOR IT!

An inspiring message to share?

I like to share Fred Hoyle's quote: "You must understand that, cosmically speaking, the room you are now sitting in is made of the wrong stuff. You, yourself, are odd. You are a rarity, a cosmic collector's piece." To study astronomy, or cosmology, is to confront immensity and sometimes wonder where we fit in. I find it quite comforting to remember that our uniqueness makes us a little treasure.

We are also led to practice experimentation and discover scientific research.

In 2024 I joined, with a small group of students, the UNIVERSEH alliance as a member of the Local Student Club of Namur which is also registered as a new kot-à-projet on the university campus. We were able to take part in the organization of the General Meeting last November as part of an activity aimed at European students. I also took part in the Spring School organized in 2024 by UNamur on the site of the Euro Space Center and am preparing for a trip to Sweden in early March as part of the Arctic Winter School.

Do you think the fact that you're a woman influences your career as a scientist?

I've always been encouraged to do what I liked, so societal ideas categorizing fields as "masculine" or "feminine" didn't really influence my choice of study. Lack of support and self-confidence can be a hindrance when entering a world that doesn't seem to be our own. Admittedly, you may have to battle with some people, but you can make your mark, like anyone else, as a woman.

What do you think would facilitate and encourage a woman to study science and, ultimately, a career in science?

You only need to look at the history of science to understand that every human being is capable of great things if they are allowed to. Nowadays, female figures who have left their mark on science are increasingly recognized, which is a good thing and gives the future generation of scientists a diversity to identify with. They, like them, have paved the way for us to have the freedom to choose what we want to do with our lives.

I find it unfortunate that it still takes days like these to emphasize the fact that we are all equal. I just think that everyone should be pushed to pursue what they're drawn to, and valued according to their abilities.

What message would you like to give to a woman who might be hesitant about taking up astronomy studies?

When you find your path, you have to follow it. I'd tell her not to hesitate, and that if it turns out in the end that the path doesn't suit her, this is in no way a sign of inferiority or inability.

An inspiring message to share?

The message I'd like to share is a short phrase that I've been trying to keep in mind ever since it was passed on to me: Don't try, just do it.

"Research has always fascinated me. I studied biology with the aim of studying plant biotechnology, but ended up in a human cell biology laboratory. I've never regretted that choice. Over 40 years later, I'm still fascinated by the complexity of cellular behavior, and in particular by the plasticity of cancer cells. Teaching scientific methodology to students and mentoring young researchers is something I particularly enjoy. "

UNamur is a member of the European alliance European Space University for Earth and Humanity (UNIVERSEH), which focuses on the theme of space. This is a real recognition of UNamur's expertise in the field of space, and a gateway to new international collaborations in both teaching and research, around a field that is driving employment and socio-economic development.