NARILIS celebrates its Annual Meeting with a scientific and festive event

On December 8th 2022, NARILIS celebrated its Annual Meeting with more than 100 members from UNamur and CHU UCL Namur. The event was dedicated to strengthening connections between basic research and clinics. The institute attaches indeed high importance on bringing researchers and clinicians together to create a shared vision and promote collaborative research efforts.

The meeting opened with an inspiring keynote lecture by Prof. Eric Trépo, hepatologist at Hôpital Erasme and FNRS research associate at the Laboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology (ULB). He presented his genome-wide association study (GWAS) identifying common genetic variants predisposing to alcohol-related hepatocellular carcinoma (Trépo et al., 2022). To conclude, he also said a few words about his personal experience as a clinician-researcher, pursuing a career in both the clinical and scientific spheres.

The floor was then given to our researchers to present three new UNamur-CHU UCL Namur collaborative research projects currently underway, which were made possible thanks to the financial support of NARILIS. The first project aims at unveiling the role of endophilin-A3-dependent endocytosis in the adhesive and migratory mechanisms of tumor cells in colorectal cancers. This research relies on a collaboration between Prof. Henri-François Renard, cell biologist at UNamur, and Prof. Marie-Cécile Nollevaux, pathologist at CHU UCL Namur. The second project focuses on the role of estrogen signaling in the initiation and development of lipedema. The partners in this collaborative work are Prof. Thierry Arnould and Prof. Patsy Renard, cell biologists at UNamur, Dr. Christine Deconinck, plastic surgeon at CHU UCL Namur and Dr. Morgane Canonne, coordinator of the translational research laboratory of the CHU UCL Namur. The third research topic explores the endothelial dysfunction in the lung during brain death. The team behind this project includes Prof. Nathalie Kirschvink, Dr. Sophie Dogné and Prof. Bruno Flamion from UNamur and Prof. Benoît Rondelet and Prof. Asmae Belhaj from the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery department of CHU UCL Namur.

Moreover, this General Assembly of NARILIS was also an opportunity to reflect on challenges and successes from the past year and to look forward to the future. Prof. Charles Nicaise, president of NARILIS, highlighted 2022 news, key scientific events and major achievements of the Institute.

Finally, important communications from the UNamur Research administration (ADRE) were presented by Eléana Somville, NARILIS contact person at ADRE, and Bernard Detrembleur, manager of the UNamur institutional repository.

The meeting was followed by a convivial moment, allowing NARILIS members to exchange ideas and to create bonds between them in a festive atmosphere. NARILIS thanks all participants for this evening of rich interaction!

www.narilis.be/events/annual-meeting