Onderzoek en initiatieven rond gezondheid, welzijn en levenskwaliteit voor individu en maatschappij.

Gezondheid en Welzijn

When the storm surrounding a topical issue has calmed down, we dive in.  

Silence after the storm

What litter really does to our neighbourhoods

News

University of Antwerp connects children’s hospital and museum park

Rosa Rademakers is awarded prestigious prize for dementia research

Frontotemporal dementia: lesser known than Alzheimer's, just as big an impact

Complicated scientific research, explained in simple terms.

Crystal clear

Early signs of Parkinson’s may already be visible during sleep

Using facts, we disprove myths around science and other topics.

Burst bubble

Do you really have full control of your #healthgoals?

How a new therapy targets resistant tumours.

Cancer strikes, we fight back

Hormones at work: time for a work culture that moves with the body

The road that researchers travel is often full of twists and challenges. Luckily, detours sometimes lead to the most beautiful places.

Meander

Can a tampon or sanitary pad  affect your vaginal health?

Discover the story behind an object that means something special to UAntwerp and its community.

The thing

The ideal sports bra: how science helps women move better

Deliberately Infected: 13 Days in Quarantine for Science

Students and players develop new sports bra

Road traffic dominant source of noise pollution

Asbestos-induced cancer and the power of combined treatments

Protecting Skin from Skin Cancer with Plasma

Thousands of women help Isala map their vaginal microbiome

How to cope with pain after cancer?

Female genital cutting more often medicalised

Beyond the taboo: anatomy down to the bone

Health is about more than the medical aspect

You are what you eat? 

The be(a)st at hearing

What is going on in the UAntwerp community? We get acquainted with our members through a series of questions.

Stream of consciousness

Caroline Masquillier wants to combat burnout in academia 

Times change, and so does the curriculum. An expert analyses an old textbook to check what is still correct.

Old source, new spring

A jab against hearing loss 

Jorrit De Waele makes our immune system stronger

Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo manages river epilepsy

Dimitri De Waele: ‘Ambition and selfcare don’t always match’ 

Filip Lardon gives workshops on smoking

Heart attacks in women: overlooked for too long

Hosna Ghaderi makes eye models tailored to patients

Who is the person behind the science? Research is not in the spotlight this time.

Beneath the surface

Jente Wagemans: 'I want to inspire'

Joyce Bosmans trains the brain with balance exercises

‘Exercise during pregnancy is healthy and necessary’ 

Is tinnitus for life?

Niel Hens: 'We calculated our way out of the crisis'

Renée Eykens combines her studies with the Olympics

Do consumers buy healthier thanks to Nutri-Score?

Honorary degree for UAntwerp virologist Erika Vlieghe

University holds on to drinking young people

Flamigel from Antwerp: A staple for more than 20 years

show-all-articles

seo-title-suffix

search

search-placeholder

in-this-magazine

author-prefix

follow-us

related-articles

show-more

articles-with-tag

share-this-article

image-credit-prefix

iFlux, a spin-off from the Faculty of Science and VITO, won the Water Resilience Challenge organised by the World Economic Forum in Davos. Start-ups were challenged to develop innovative solutions that strengthen the water resilience of infrastructure, agriculture, technology and energy systems, among other things. As our dependence on groundwater continues to increase, effective monitoring is essential for an effective water policy. iFlux's technology measures both the speed and direction of contamination in groundwater over a longer period of time. Goedele Verreydt (Department of Biology) is co-founder and CTO of iFLUX.

iFLUX wins prestigious Water Resilience Challenge

On 20 December 2025, Nick Van Remortel (Faculty of Science) and Frederik Swennen (Faculty of Law) were appointed for life as members of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. This is a society of outstanding scientists, artists and business leaders. A candidate member can only be nominated by three sponsors. From now on, the professors will contribute to interdisciplinary thinking and debate on social, scientific and artistic developments in the natural sciences and human sciences respectively.

New UAntwerp members in the Royal Flemish Academy

Rosa Rademakers (VIB/University of Antwerp) and three colleagues received the Sean M. Healey International Prize for Innovation in San Diego. This prize is awarded to individuals or research teams whose discoveries advance research into ALS therapies. She succeeded in identifying the 'C9ORF72 repeat expansion' as the most common cause of ALS and frontotemporal dementia.

Professor wins international prize for ALS research

Jeroen Puttevils (Faculty of Arts) was awarded a prize in the Humanities category by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. In his study of merchant correspondence, lotteries and trade networks in the late medieval and sixteenth-century Netherlands, Puttevils reconstructs the future expectations of historical actors. His innovative research method, which combines in-depth archival research with various digital techniques, is revolutionising urban history. This makes historical knowledge more accessible to everyone.

Historian awarded for innovative research method

Every year, the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium and the Young Academy honour scientists who have made an exceptional contribution to science communication. UAntwerp traditionally scores highly, and 2025 is no exception: three of the thirteen Annual Awards go to researchers from our university. Sarah Van den Bosch, Sarah Ahannach, Isabel Erreygers, Inas Rahou, Sarah Lebeer, Charlotte De Backer and Veronique Verhoeven score with their citizen science project Rufaida. Science at the Fair is the winning project coordinated by Nele Wynants, Gitte Samoy, Tim Overkempe, Hannah Welslau, Anse De Weerdt, Eva Andersen, Thibaut Rioult, Bart Moens, Elisa Seghers and Julie De Smedt. Tim Boogaerts, Alexander van Nuijs and Natan Van Wichelen also receive an Annual Award for their awareness-raising science communication on wastewater monitoring.

Three Annual Science Communication Awards come to UAntwerp

Prof. Erika Vlieghe (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp/ITG) wrote the book Gepokt en gemazeld - Hoe we infectieziekten met kennis en samenwerking verslaan (in English: Seasoned and battle-hardened - How we defeat infectious diseases with knowledge and cooperation). Infectious diseases are back, even if they never really went away. It is now painfully clear how vulnerable even rich countries are. The book offers a comprehensive overview of how infectious diseases arise, spread and can be tackled. Concrete examples and recent outbreaks illustrate what pandemic preparedness actually entails.

Seasoned and battle-hardened

Professor and paediatric infectious disease specialist Daan Van Brusselen (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp/ZAS) wrote Dagboek van een kinderarts zonder grenzen&nbsp;(in English: Diary of a paediatrician without borders)&nbsp;&ndash; about the environment and children's health. In the book, the doctor takes readers on a journey to children's hospitals in all corners of the world. Through personal stories, this book reflects on the deep connection between the health of the earth and that of its youngest inhabitants.

Diary of a paediatrician without borders

The book Arm Vlaanderen. Een wereldgeschiedenis &ndash; Honger, ziekte en globalisering in het midden van de 19de eeuw (in English: Poor Flanders. A world history &ndash; Hunger, disease and globalisation in the mid-19th century) by Professor Maarten Van Ginderachter (Faculty of Arts and Philosophy) receives five stars in De Standaard der Letteren and is called &ldquo;one of the best history books of the year&rdquo;. Sometime between 1845 and 1850, an acute crisis struck Flanders, a region roughly corresponding to the current provinces of West and East Flanders. In his book, the historian shows how this poverty was not a remnant of an archaic past, but rather the result of very modern and global processes. Together with Van Ginderachter, the reader is taken on a world tour of Peruvian islands, Indian plantations, American forests and Arabian desert plains.

Poor Flanders. A world history

At the World Games &ndash; essentially the Olympics for non-Olympic sports &ndash; the Belgian mixed team won a silver medal in tug-of-war. Present in Chengdu, China, was Colette Puts (rehabilitation sciences and physiotherapy 2022).

Alumna wins silver medal at World Games

On Belgium's national holiday, King Filip awarded honorary titles to deserving compatriots, as is customary every year. Prof. Pierre Van Damme (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) can now call himself a baron. Van Damme, who founded the unique Vaccinopolis research center, is very happy with the recognition of the many years of work in the field of vaccinology by his team and himself. &ldquo;During the coronavirus pandemic, that work suddenly became very visible, but we had also been very active in the years before. And we still are today, of course&rdquo;

King awards Pierre Van Damme honorary title of baron

The Island Without Women ... and 69 other fascinating places in Europe&nbsp;(original title: Het eiland zonder vrouwen... en 69 andere fascinerende plekken in Europa) is the latest book by Joost Houtman (Germanic Languages 1998). The author takes you to lesser-known countries and regions such as Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Wales. Houtman tells fascinating stories about customs and locals of each location. Among other things, you will learn that there is an island in Europe where women are not allowed to set foot ashore.

The Island Without Women

Soroptimist International Belgium, the Belgian branch of the global NGO dedicated to empowering women and girls, presented the Soroptimist Belgium Award 2024 to Prof. Annick Schramme (Faculty of Business and Economics). With her innovative vision on ethical and sustainable fashion, she shows how women can achieve lasting social impact through leadership and systemic change. Schramme combines innovation, sustainability, and leadership with social added value. &ldquo;It is a great honor to receive this award from Soroptimist International Belgium, an organization dedicated to education, women's empowerment, and social impact,&rdquo; said the laureate. &ldquo;I dedicate this recognition to my students, colleagues, partners, and all women who are committed to sustainable change and equal opportunities in our society.&rdquo;

Annick Schramme receives Soroptimist Belgium Award 2024

Master's students Anahit Miskarian, Lies Lauwers and Dietrich Rosiers (<a href="https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/about-uantwerp/faculties/faculty-of-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Faculty of Law</a>) scored highly at the Council of State's national constitutional law moot court competition. They won the prize for the best pleading (written paper). Anahit Miskarian also won a prize for the best pleader in the preliminaries. In the grand final, the Antwerp team narrowly beat the UGent team: another silver medal. The students were coached by Prof. Cedric Jenart, Ben Claes and Floris Fonteyn. The law faculties of the ten Belgian universities participate annually in this bilingual moot court competition. The jury consists of magistrates from the Constitutional Court, the Council of State, the Court of Cassation and leading lawyers.

UAntwerp students win prizes at national moot court competition

Els Tanghe (Antwerp School of Education) won a Sett Award, a prize for people and institutions that contribute to the improvement and innovation of education. She received the recognition for her efforts within teacher education and the development of digital learning tools. Her work plays a crucial role in preparing future teachers for the new challenges of modern education.

UAntwerp lecturer wins Sett Award for innovating education

The Young Academy elected ten new members. Two of them are affiliated with UAntwerp. Chemical biologist Michaela Prothiwa (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences) is developing smart chemical tools to understand how bacteria bypass our immune system. She uses these insights to search for new treatments that can replace antibiotics. Health economist Lander Willem (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) investigates the economic impact of health policies. Using computer models, he analyzes how targeted interventions affect the health and affordability of medical care in a virtual population.

Two UAntwerp researchers elected for Young Academy

At the Belgian Cyber Security Awards, Catherine Van de Heyning (Faculty of Law), expert in European Human Rights, wonthe award for Cyber Security Personality of the Year. She receives the award for her work on the impact of digitization on fundamental rights, specifically in the criminal justice sector. Her work also focuses specifically on vulnerable people, such as victims of revenge porn.

Professor wins Cyber Security Award

Professor Rose Bruffaerts (Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences) won the Young Researcher Award 2024, a prize worth 50 000 euros awarded by the Alzheimer's Research Foundation. She received the award for her innovative research on frontotemporal dementia, a complex form of dementia that mainly affects middle-aged people. Hugo Sigal, ambassador for the foundation, presented the award on the set of the popular soap opera Familie.

Professor wins Young Researcher Award

Karine Van Doorsselaer (Faculty of Design Sciences) wrote the book Ecodesign. Guide to the circular economy. She debunks a number of misconceptions and offers a roadmap in choosing the most suitable material for a design. The book is highly recommended for any designer or engineer from all industrial sectors. &lsquo;Implementing ecodesign in the design process is a key to success in the transition to a sustainable society and a circular economy,&rsquo; says the author.

Ecodesign is key to sustainable society and circular economy

In the book Caf&eacute; De Sportvriend, Marko Heijl and Bart Diricx undertake a pub tour through the rich heritage of authentic Flemish sports pubs. You will discover 91 Flemish popular pubs in images and stories.

Alumnus Marko Heijl brings Flanders' finest sports pubs together in images and words

<a href="https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/staff/oskar-seuntjens_21287/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oskar Seuntjens</a> is a PhD student within the <a href="https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/research-groups/emib/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings Research Group</a> (Faculty of Applied Engineering). He is also active in politics. With the elections on 9 June, he was elected member of parliament for Vooruit. In July, the Chamber decided on committee chairs. Seuntjens was appointed chairman of the Energy, Environment and Climate committee. At 25, he is the youngest committee chairman ever.

PhD student is youngest committee chair everPhD student is youngest committee chair ever

Dimitri Mortelmans and Elke Claessens (Faculty of Social Sciences) and Geert Mertens (ICT Department) won the Computable Award 2024 &lsquo;IT Project of the Year in Education&rsquo;. They joined forces to implement the SAS Viya programme in the Applied Multivariate Analysis curriculum. The jury praised the joint efforts to bring cutting-edge technology to sociology and SEW students via Cloud Computing.

UAntwerp wins Education Prize Computable 2024

Following its annual tradition, Eos awards a prize for the most promising young researcher in Flanders. On the shortlist for that Eos Pipet, UAntwerp took two of the five spots. Sarah Ahannach, driving force behind citizenscience project Isala, and Kevin Van Sundert, manager of a freely accessible database of climate change data. Voting for the public award can be done at eoscience.eu/eospipet2024.

Two researchers on shortlist Eos Pipet

At the new hospital ZNA Cadix, Peter Bruyninckx (&lsquo;Romaanse Filologie&rsquo;, 1992), spokesperson for the Flemish Traffic Centre, was elected Spokesperson of the Year. The two other nominees are also alumni of the University of Antwerp: Lantis spokesperson Annik Dirkx ( Romaanse Filologie, 2000) and UAntwerpen spokesperson Peter De Meyer (Germaanse Filologie, 2001).

Spokesperson of the Year

Law students Arevik Miskarian, Johannes Vogels and Mathieu Vereecke won the silver medal at the national pleading competition on constitutional law at the Council of State. The trio did win the prize for the best pleading (written paper). The jury stated that their pleading was remarkably better than most pleadings received by the Constitutional Court from seasoned lawyers.

Law students take silver in national pleading competition

Opera singers and scientists sharing a stage? It probably never happened before, but on Thursday, May 2, it will. During the benefit gala ARIA for MS, the University of Antwerp and Opera Ballet Flanders will join forces. The goal: to put multiple sclerosis on the map and raise money for promising new research through the Antwerp University Fund. You can now <a href="https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/events/aria-for-ms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get your tickets</a>, thus contributing directly to the research.

New cell therapy can boost battle against MS

At the presentation of the Language Industry Awards, or LIAs for short, UAntwerp's <a href="https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/about-uantwerp/faculties/faculty-of-arts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Faculty of Arts</a> won two awards. The project "A Touch of Museum to Scale" received an award for the way in which the permanent art collection of the <a href="https://stroom.uantwerpen.be/en/the-source/museum-to-scale-2-0-is-more-than-just-a-feast-for-the-eyes-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum to Scale</a> is made accessible to everyone. Also <a href="https://duikintaal.be/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duik in Taal!</a>, a campaign to get young people interested in studying languages, received an award. Some language teachers from UAntwerpen put their shoulders to the wheel.

Two projects Faculty of Arts win Language Industry Award

At the indoor world athletics championships in Glasgow, the Belgian Tornados captured the men's 4x400m world title for the second time in a row. Christian Iguacel, an alumnus of physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences, was one of four Belgian runners in the final.

Alumnus wins world title for 4x400m

In the book Een nuchtere kijk op alcohol (A Sober Look at Alcohol), Geert Dom (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) gives advice and insights on how to deal in a healthier way with beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages. Dom compiles all medical-scientific insights and shows the visible and hidden effects of alcohol on the body.

Professor writes book about dangers of alcohol

Alumnus Warre Clarys (industrial sciences, 2023) wins the prestigious mtech+ Prize 2023 with the development of a digital skin model that mimics the heat distribution of skin and tumors. By training this model, the subcutaneous shape and depth of the tumor can be precisely measured. Clarys also won the public award from mtech as well as the Eos Prize.

Alumnus wins mtech+ Prize and Eos Prize

Doe maar niet (Better don't)&nbsp;is the title of the very first book by law student Amir Bachrouri, former president of the Flemish Youth Council. In the book, Bachrouri, who grew up in an underprivileged family, searches for levers so that all Belgian youth can prosper. The book presentation took place at De Roma.

Student writes book about the future of youngsters

Bart D'Olieslager (product development 1998) is the new CEO of the Luxembourg division of the telecom company Eltrona. In recent years he worked at Belgian telecom operator VOO, and also held a management position at Orange Belgium in the past.

Alumnus becomes new CEO Eltrona

The OVAM presents the annual Ecodesign Award for students. Kieran Franck (product development, 2023) won with the project Cyclowash, a system that filters microfibers and waste particles from the water of washing machines in laundromats. The filtered wastewater can thus be reused and the waste does not end up in our oceans. His colleague Emiel Goffin was laureate in the Industrial Design category. His Paccobox is a circular system where consumers can deposit the empty reusable packaging of their meals.

Alumnus wins Ecodesign Award

In Madrid, Em. Prof. Louis Beyens (Department of Biology) received the Lifetime Achievement Award Eug&egrave;ne Penard, presented by the International Society for Testate Amoeba Research. The biologist has been researching the impact of climatic fluctuations on single-celled organisms, more specifically scaled amoebae, in the polar regions since 1978. His passion for the polar regions has led to several popular science books, such as The Future Polar Bear.

Polar expert receives Lifetime Achievement Award

As a biostatistician, Prof. Niel Hens (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) was often in the media during the corona period with his models about the expected spread of the disease. Together with his UHasselt colleague Christel Faes, Hens now wrote the book What if?. The authors offer a look behind the scenes: which data was available? Which questions had to be answered first and why? The book offers guidance for anyone who wants to know what was behind 'the daily covid figures'.

Biostatistician writes book on daily covid figures

PhD student Annelies Augustyns (Faculty of Arts) won the audience award of the PhD-Cup with 1.800 votes. In her research, she investigates diaries from unknown Jewish Germans during World War II.

PhD student wins PhD-Cup audience award

Professor Annick Gilles (Translational Neurosciences)&nbsp;won the Annual Science Communication Prize with her book (h)OREN(dol)?! published in 2022. In the book she formulates clear answers to questions that patients with tinnitus may have.

Professor wins Annual Science Communication Prize

Professor Annick Schramme (Antwerp Management School) has received the Visser-Neerlandia Prize as a reward for her commitment to Dutch-Flemish cooperation, which runs like a common thread through her career.

Professor wins Visser-Neerlandia Prize

Martha Mutua (Development Evaluation and Management), Hannah Downes (Globalisation and Development), Abdulwahid Panganting (Governance and Development) and Colin Van Belleghem (International Relations and Diplomacy) were honoured by Minister of Development Cooperation Caroline Gennez at the presentation of the Prize for Global Research by the Province of Antwerp.

Four alumni win Prize for Global Research

Professor Joris Dirckx (Dept. of Physics) works on a science musical about Marie Curie, in collaboration with UAntwerp and Podiumacademie Lier. There will be a live orchestra, a cast of 70 and an international dance company. Tickets for&nbsp;Curieus&nbsp;can be bought on the <a href="https://www.musicalcurieus.be/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.

Professor makes science musical

Julien De Wit (Law, 2023), president of the Flemish Association for Students, published his first book.&nbsp; Ge(e)neratie (translation: (No) generation) is a plea for a society in which youngsters are more included in decision making processes.

Alumnus publishes book

Genetic researcher Lotte Van Den Heuvel (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) launched a podcast. In 'Plots, Doodeerlijk' (Suddenly, Deadly Honest) she talks with patients who have an incurable genetic condition. How do they cope with their diagnose?
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/04E4PXdHRDHFGhj880yYLn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Listen to the four episodes</a>

Researcher launches podcast

Alumnus Matteo&nbsp;Balliauw (Business Engineering, 2013) starts as Head of Data, Analytics &amp; Insights at the Royal Belgian Football Association.

New Head of Data at Royal Belgian Football Association

Alumnus Tom Ongena (Law, 1998) is the new - acting - chairman for Open Vld. Ongena, who is from Mechelen, has been seated in the Flemish Parliament since 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;

New chairman Open Vld

In his book&nbsp;Spring verder (Jump further), Youssef Deconinck (Organisation and Management, 2015) helps new entrepreneurs to survive their first year of business. As a coordinator for Xerius, he knows the questions entrepreneurs have through and through; the answers to these questions are now combined in one book.&nbsp;

First aid for entrepreneurs

Since 1989, EAIE promotes international education, with focus on learning, networking and knowledge exchange. Piet Van Hove (Dept. University &amp; Society) is the first Belgian president since establishment. His term will end in September 2024. The upcoming conference will be in September 2023, in Rotterdam.

First Belgian president European Association for International Education (EAIE)

Katrien Crauwels (Law, 1992) has taken the oath as the new President of the Bar Association of Antwerp. Crauwels is a partner at the law firm Crowe Spark Legal, where she mostly focuses on social law. &nbsp;

New President at the Bar Association

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of gay marriage in Belgium, Paul Borghs (Law, 2003) published Echt Verbonden &ndash; Geschiedenis van het homohuwelijk in Belgi&euml; (Truly connected &ndash; The history of gay marriage in Belgium). In this book, the alumnus tells all about Belgium becoming the second country in the world to legalise gay marriage.

Twenty years of gay marriage

Together with Kathleen Beckers and Annelien Van Remoortere, Karolin Soontjens (Faculty of Social Sciences) wrote Journalism Out of Balance<a href="https://www.aspeditions.be/en/book/journalistiek-uit-balans/19400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">?</a>. The book sheds new light on the debate on press bias. The book provides answers to the many questions surrounding perceptions, image damage, bias ... between political parties and journalists.

Journalism out of balance?

Sara Op de Beeck (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) was selected for the prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany. For one week, the researcher gets to attend several lectures and has the opportunity to network with other young researchers. Moreover, Sara will have the chance to meet Nobel Prize winners.

Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Alumnus and visiting professor Peter Piot (PhD in microbiology, 1980 and affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) won the Global Health Leaders Award. This award, presented by the World Health Organization (WHO), is given to him for his phenomenal achievements in public health.

Global Health Leaders Award

Student Jef Vandorpe (Law) won the VRT 1 television quiz &lsquo;1 year for free&rsquo; in early April. The prize was a whopping 85,000 euros. He will gift part of the prize money to his godson.

Winner '1 year for free'

Master of Law students Eva Devlieghere, Pieter Mertens and Charlotte Verstreken participated in the eighth edition of the Belgian Moot Court in Constitutional Law organised at the Council of State at the end of April. It was quite a success, because the trio went on to win all the prizes.

Belgian Moot Court in Constitutional Law

<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201491465 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;7f6e2fc1-5842-4e86-9a15-b8a26bc58c88|9&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[469775450,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}">Three professors from our university recently released a new book. Dirk Avonts, Hans Keune and Roy Remmen (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) wrote&nbsp;Natuur op doktersvoorschrift (Doctor&rsquo;s prescription for nature). The book is about how nature can have an influence on human health.

Doctor’s prescription for nature

<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12916827 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;7f6e2fc1-5842-4e86-9a15-b8a26bc58c88|9&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[469775450,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}">Student Elaheh Ahmadi-Eli (Alumna of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy and PhD student) recently became the new physiotherapist of Antwerp basketball powerhouse: Telenet Giants Antwerp.

New physiotherapist Telenet Giants Antwerp

Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael caught a new veterinarian: alumnus Jonas Spruyt (Veterinary Medicine, 2011). The ambitious and adventurous doctor was active abroad for many years and is eager to take on this new challenge.

New veterinarian at Zoo Antwerpen and Planckendael

Alumna Jacotte Brokken (Chemistry, 2015) succeeded Frank Deboosere as weatherwoman. In April Jacotte joined VRT&rsquo;s weather team.

Alumna Jacotte Brokken joins weather team VRT

Officer of the Order of Leopold: this title was conferred on Dominiek Dendooven (Department of History). He received the medal and certificate from Didier Vanderhasselt, the Belgian ambassador to India. In his research, Dendooven emphasises the important role Indian soldiers played during World War I.

Officer of the Order of Leopold

Andreas Pfeffer (Communication Sciences, 2003) is the new chair of Voka &ndash; Chamber of Commerce and Industry Antwerp-Waasland. Pfeffer is the CEO of temporary employment and recruitment agency Recrewtment.

New chair Voka

The birthplace of poet Paul van Ostaijen on Antwerp&rsquo;s Lange Leemstraat is bustling again. Matthijs de Ridder, Dennis Van Mol and Ewald Peters are three former members of staff of the Louis Paul Boon Documentation Centre at UAntwerp. De Ridder wrote a biography on Van Ostaijen, Van Mol and Peters worked out an exhibition around the poet&rsquo;s artist friends.

The birthplace of Paul van Ostaijen

Imposter mother, that&rsquo;s the title of Hanan Challouki&rsquo;s latest book (Communication Sciences, 2015). In the book, the alumna &ndash; an expert in inclusive marketing and communication &ndash; talks about her first, uncertain year as a mother.

Health and Well-being