Ghent University alumni Rik and Bea wanted to celebrate their most recent birthday with a big party and they had a very clear gift preference: No flowers or chocolates, they wrote in the invitation, but a donation to the Marleen Temmerman Fund of Ghent University. Their fundraising initiative brought in close to €5,000 for the Fund.
Marine biologist and Professor Emeritus Patrick Sorgeloos (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering) was instrumental in shaping modern aquaculture in recent decades. If his career has taught him one thing, it is that aquaculture has a crucial role to play in continuing to ensure food security. “By 2050 more than half of our food must come from the sea. And it’s possible.”
A recent study into Parkinson’s disease has shown that a stool transplant may constitute a new and valuable treatment of the disease. “It offers a potentially safe, effective and cost-efficient way of alleviating the symptoms and improving the quality of life of millions. A 'bacterial pill' might replace the stool transplant in the future. But more research is needed.”
Six months ago, Anja Peumans made the decision: she changed her will so that part of her inheritance would go to the Ghent University Animal Clinic. “I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Finally, I thought, I can fulfil my dream after I am gone”.
Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and ALS are devastating neurodegenerative diseases with no prospect of recovery. Clinical geneticist, physician and Ghent University professor Bart Dermaut is making a breakthrough with his scientific research that could push future therapies in a new direction. This is partly thanks to donations and legacies from patients.
Cancer researcher Celine Everaert is currently developing an important test that should help to improve treatment for cancer patients. This is possible because of a scholarship, funded by donations and bequests.
Few people have heard of it: peritoneal cancer. However, the disease, especially as a metastasis of another cancer, affects many patients. Unfortunately, it is often too late once the diagnosis is made: existing treatments achieve very little. Groundbreaking research by Professor Wim Ceelen is now resulting in new and promising treatments. And all thanks to the inheritance of a former patient.
Marleen Temmerman has long been recognised as a global authority on the subject of women’s rights and -healthcare, due to her unwavering fight to promote them. Now, she has been elected a brand-new member of the National Academy of Medicine in further recognition of outstanding achievements. As the first Belgian female in history.
After his mother passed away, Aurèle De Vos decided to commemorate his mother by establishing a fund and donating to the Botanical Garden. Its purpose is to help the Botanical Garden protect rare and endangered plants.
Only forty per cent of assistance dogs in training actually end up becoming a proper assistance dog. This problem not only causes long waiting lists, it also costs a lot of money. A collaboration, in the form of a professorship between professor Bart Broeckx and the non-profit organisation Purpose Dogs aims to find a solution.
Olexiy Lyamtsev works at the Faculty of Science at the moment. There, he is a beekeeper at Honeybee Valley, a research group led by Professor Dirk de Graaf which focuses on the declining bee population in the wild. Besides this, he is also charged with making an inventory of the museum collection at the Eva Crane Trust, a knowledge centre for beekeeping.
He is one of the most defining characters in the history of Ghent University. His name was recently given to a foundation, set up by professors Marc Cools and Christophe Vandeviver. They believe that Nico Gunzburg is the perfect embodiment of what they are keen to achieve with the foundation.
