Francqui Prize awarded to leading researchers at KU Leuven and UCLouvain
The Francqui-Collen Prize, one of the country’s highest scientific honours, has been awarded to professors Diether Lambrechts of KU Leuven and VIB and Patrice Cani of UCLouvain. The prize will be presented by King Philippe on Tuesday at the Palace of the Academies in Brussels.
The Francqui-Collen Prize recognises groundbreaking Belgian scientific research. According to the jury, which includes leading international scientists, the winning researchers are among the world leaders in their field.
Lambrechts works in oncology and is being honoured for his innovative genetic cancer research. His team analyses tumours at a cellular level and has mapped out how cancer cells evade the immune system.
"Very few researchers succeed in truly making a difference for someone who receives a cancer diagnosis today or tomorrow. That is what drives us"
His work has led to the identification of biomarkers that help doctors predict which patients will benefit from treatments such as immunotherapy. These insights are used internationally and contribute to more personalised cancer care.
“Millions of biomarkers have been described in science, but very few researchers succeed in truly making a difference for someone who receives a cancer diagnosis today or tomorrow. That is what drives us,” Lambrechts said.
Lambrechts is affiliated with the VIB-KU Leuven Centre for Cancer Biology. Colleagues Sarah-Maria Fendt, Bart Lambrecht, Pierre Vanderhaeghen, Dirk Inzé and Peter Carmeliet have also received a Francqui Prize for their research in the past 25 years.
Cani, who works on microbiome research and metabolic disorders, receives the prize for his research into the role of gut bacteria in lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. He studies the interaction between diet, the gut microbiome and the immune system, with a focus on the bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila.
His research shows that this bacterium can strengthen the intestinal barrier and influence metabolic disorders. His work led to the establishment of a spin-off that translates these insights into applications for humans.
The Francqui-Collen Prize is awarded by the Francqui Foundation and is often described as the Belgian Nobel Prize. It has been awarded each year since 1932 to recognise exceptional academic talent. In addition to the prize, the winner receives 250,000 euros.
The award is given alternately to a researcher in the exact sciences, the humanities and the biological and medical sciences. When it falls within the biological and medical sciences, it is called the Francqui-Collen Prize, after Dr Désiré Collen, a long-standing supporter of cutting-edge biomedical and fundamental research in Belgium.
King Philippe presents the Francqui-Collen Prize to professors Diether Lambrechts of KU Leuven/VIB and Patrice Cani of UCLouvain © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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