Article

The wolf is back in Wallonia: deciphering its past and present presence in our forests and countryside

The wolf, a majestic animal that has had many tumultuous adventures with man. Respected in ancient Rome, then demonised from the Middle Ages onwards, the wolf is now gaining ground in Belgium after having disappeared from our lands since the end of the 19th century. This subject was at the heart of the conference "Return of the wolf in the Walloon Region", organised by UNamur on 9 March 2023. This was an opportunity to decipher the past and present presence of the wolf in our countryside and forests, with Julie Duchêne, FRESH-FNRS doctoral student in History, and Benoit Muylkens, Head of the Department of veterinary medicine.
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Article

A historic cosmic discovery: UNamur immortalized in the stars

(Update 04/04: This article is "an April Fool") A remarkable event took place during Printemps des sciences, which ran from March 18 to 24, 2024. While a visit to the UNamur Astronomical Observatory was offered to the general public on the evening of March 23, a unique phenomenon occurred.
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Article

Breaking the silence: an escape game to detect domestic violence

On Monday February 19, students in Block 3 of Medicine at UNamur and Midwifery in the Paramedical Department at Hénallux took part in the second edition of a project to raise awareness of domestic violence. Conceived by the two institutions, the project takes the form of an escape game entitled "Oseras-tu poser la question" ("Dare to ask the question"). Used as part of the practical work on "Professional communication in healthcare" in the Medical Psychology course taught by Martin Desseilles, professor at the Faculty of Medicine at UNamur, this escape game aims to train future healthcare professionals to detect signs of domestic violence in patients during consultations and to act accordingly.
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Article

Fighting disease with digital simulations

Lately, and thanks to LUMI, one of Europe's largest supercomputers, the limits of our knowledge of cell lipid membranes have been pushed back. A team of Namur researchers, including Professor Benoît Champagne and Drs. Pierre Beaujean and Charlotte Bouquiaux, has just published in the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling. The results of this study pave the way for new approaches in the field of membrane lipid therapy.
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Article

Aiming for student well-being: results of a study in the Faculty of Medicine

"Take care of yourself to better take care of others" - this is the mantra guiding a wellness workshop for second-year medical students as part of the General Psychology course taught by Martin Desseilles, professor at the University of Namur. Taught by Laura Demarthe, psychologist and didactic associate in the Department of Psychology, the workshop aims to equip future doctors with tools to cultivate their physical, mental and social well-being. Professors at UNamur recently conducted a study on this initiative.
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Article

DJESA: awareness-raising and interdisciplinarity in medical education

On Friday, March 1, the Faculty of Medicine hosted a Half Day of Exchange on Food Sovereignty (DJESA), organized by the UNI4COOP consortium, Humundi and Vétérinaires Sans Frontières. Led by Professor Grégoire Wiëers, Director of UNamur's Department of Medicine, and Caroline Canon, Master of Didactics, this event was dedicated to Block 2 students in medicine, pharmacy and biomedical sciences. An afternoon punctuated by a gesticulated lecture by Corentin Hecquet and awareness-raising workshops on sustainable development and interdisciplinarity in the medical field..
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Article

Guillaume Berionni Belgian representative at the European Chemical Society

One year after receiving funding from the European Research Council (ERC) for his B-Yond project, Prof Guillaume Berionni has just been named a Fellow of the prestigious European chemistry society Chemistry Europe. This distinction makes him the new representative for Belgium for a period of 2 years.
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Article

ERAMET project launched: improving the drug regulation system

On March 4 and 5, UNamur hosted the launch event for the European ERAMET project. Led by Professor Flora Musuamba Tshinanu, this collaborative project brings together 17 European partners. Objective: to improve the scientific database guiding regulators in drug evaluation, with a focus on rare and pediatric conditions. A look back at the launch day.
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Article

Chemistry at UNamur: half a century of excellence and innovation in research and teaching

How does chemistry play a part in developing innovative, sustainable solutions for society's current and future challenges? What unique teaching methods does UNamur use to train enlightened leaders in the field of chemistry? On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Department of Chemistry lifts the veil on some of its major research projects and innovative teaching practices.
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Event

EMBO Workshop | Establishing state-of-the-art mollusc genomics

EMBO Courses and Workshops are selected for their excellent scientific quality and timelines, provision of good networking activities for all participants and speaker gender diversity (at least 40% of speakers must be from the underrepresented gender). Organisers are encouraged to implement measures to make the meeting environmentally more sustainable.Upon registration - More info and registration on the EMBO website.
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Event

Chill&Sciences | From viruses to space, it's mathematical!

On Thursday May 30, for our last Chill&Sciences of the season, Candy Sonvaux and Alexis Coyette, mathematics researchers, invite you to discover the mathematics where the movements of the planets and the spread of viruses intertwine until they impact our society.Chill&Science: enriching encountersWith nearly 20 years' experience of scientific cafés, the Confluent des Savoirs has set up a new concept of scientific encounters. The Chill&Sciences are a unique opportunity for the public to come and discuss and ask questions of experts on research topics related to current affairs and citizen issues.Come and enjoy the unique, relaxed atmosphere of Quai22. Researchers and experts from the seven faculties of the University of Namur will present their research and discuss with you over a drink (or two, but never without exaggeration).In practiceThe meetings are open to everyone aged 16 and over. Evenings are limited to around 20 people to ensure a relaxed atmosphere and to facilitate discussions. Meetings take place if a minimum of 10 people are registered. Except in exceptional circumstances, meetings take place every 2 months at the University of Namur's cultural space, Quai22, located at n°22 Rue du Séminaire.Tarif Participation in a Chill&Sciences costs 5€. A discounted annual pass is available. Please note: preferential rate for students (discount code: PromoCDS).The booking fee includes a drink* (soft or beer), a snack (chips and cookies) and management fees linked to the organization Unless cancelled by us, bookings are non-refundable. (*additional drinks will be available upon electronic payment.)
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Event

Public thesis defense - Pauline TRICQUET

The Elongator complex is involved in the addition of 5'-carboxylmethyluridine (cm5U)-derived modifications to transfer RNAs (tRNAs), thereby influencing the translation of certain messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and helping to maintain the integrity of the proteome. This complex is involved in a variety of biological processes, and is of particular importance in oncology. The identification of chemical inhibitors of Elongator is of significant interest in both basic and pharmaceutical research.Through a yeast screen, this work reveals a potential new role for Elongator and identifies a chemical inhibitor of the complex. This compound presents itself as an interesting candidate as a pharmacological inhibitor, opening up new perspectives for the search for anti-cancer therapies.
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