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At the University of Namur, a thesis led by Fabian Delhalle, with support from SPW Research as part of the Win4Doc program, is exploring an innovative approach to producing proteins of therapeutic interest. In collaboration with Bio-Sourcing and the Walloon Center for Agricultural Research, this project aims to better understand the mechanisms of lactation in goats in order to optimize biopharmaceutical production that is more accessible, more flexible, and more environmentally friendly.

At UNamur, research is not confined to laboratories. From physics to political science, robotics, biodiversity, law, AI, and health, researchers collaborate daily with numerous stakeholders in society. The goal? To transform ideas into concrete solutions to address current challenges. 

At UNamur, a doctoral thesis led by Juliette Liégeois—with support from SPW Recherche as part of the Win4Doc program—aims to modernize the automated production of radiotracers used, in particular, to diagnose certain cancers and other diseases. Called SMART, the project is being developed in collaboration with Synlock, a company that designs synthesis robots for academic and industrial laboratories.

The Institute hosts five types of research seminars. These seminars bring together members to discuss a variety of topics and are generally held during the day.

Catherine Linard, a researcher in the Department of Geography at UNamur, was recognized for her work at the intersection of geography and epidemiology. This Francqui-Collen fellowship will allow her, starting in September and for the next three years, to be relieved of most of her teaching duties so she can devote more time to her research on the influence of environmental changes on the spread of infectious diseases. 

"Methods" is a series of seminars co-organized by the Transitions and Development Finance & Public Policies (DeFiPP) Research Institutes at the University of Namur with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and the exchange of knowledge. All seminars are held in a hybrid format.The "Methods" seminar series focuses on cutting-edge methodological approaches, particularly in the fields of natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence (AI), video and image analysis, and multimodal analysis.

Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous malignancy in which human papillomavirus (HPV) status strongly influences therapeutic response. HPV-positive tumors generally show greater sensitivity to treatment, whereas HPV-negative tumors are associated with a poorer prognosis and increased resistance. This thesis investigated how HPV status shapes cellular adaptation to therapeutic stress, with a particular focus on therapy-induced senescence (TIS), autophagy, and MMS19.HPV- HNSCC cells developed a senescence-like phenotype following cisplatin or X-ray irradiation, whereas HPV+ cells showed limited induction. Silencing of the viral oncogenes E6 and E7 in HPV-positive cells enhanced this phenotype, indicating that HPV actively modulates treatment-induced cellular responses. Proteomic analyses further identified autophagy- and lysosome-related pathways as major features distinguishing HPV- from HPV+ cells. Autophagy inhibition predominantly impaired proliferation and clonogenic survival in HPV- cells, supporting an HPV-dependent autophagy–senescence axis involved in treatment adaptation.The second part of this thesis identified MMS19, a component of the cytosolic iron–sulfur cluster assembly machinery, as a potential determinant of HPV- HNSCC resistance. MMS19 was associated with poorer clinical outcomes, while its silencing impaired proliferation and clonogenic survival, particularly in HPV- cells.Together, these findings identify autophagy-dependent remodeling and MMS19-associated genome maintenance as potential vulnerabilities contributing to therapeutic resistance in HPV- HNSCC. Jury Prof. Anne-Catherine HEUSKIN (UNamur), ChairProf. Carine MICHIELS (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Francis RODIER (UMontreal)Prof. Yves POUMAY (UNamur)Prof. Anabelle DECOTTIGNIES (UCLouvain)Prof. Marc THERRIEN (University of Montreal)Prof. Sue YOM (UCSF)

By offering several modules to students in healthcare training programs that focus on learning through play, the University of Namur’s Faculty of Medicine is setting itself apart in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. These methods, which educational coordinator Hélène Givron explored in her dissertation, place communication at the heart of the learning process.

AbstractPopulation aging is accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, including tauopathies. This family of diseases, which includes Alzheimer’s disease, is characterized by the mislocalization, hyperphosphorylation, and accumulation of the tau protein in a pathological form, leading to neuronal dysfunction and ultimately neuronal death within the central nervous system. Numerous studies conducted in humans and in various animal models have demonstrated an association between repeated head trauma and the development of a specific tauopathy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This progressive neurodegenerative disease is attributed to repeated exposure to impacts to the head that generate acceleration-deceleration forces in the brain.Although the brain and spinal cord share many cellular and tissue characteristics, the consequences of spinal cord trauma on the development of tauopathies remain largely unexplored. To investigate this question, a new mouse model of repeated mild spinal cord trauma was developed in the PS19 mouse, a transgenic model of tauopathy that replicates several characteristics of frontotemporal dementia. Two low-intensity spinal cord contusions (30 kDynes), administered three weeks apart, were performed at two months of age to assess their impact on the long-term progression of the disease.Although these injuries induce neither immediate clinical deficits, nor detectable tissue lesions, nor neuronal loss, they elicit a marked glial response as well as neuronal and axonal damage, as evidenced by increased circulating concentrations of neurofilament light chains. Longitudinal follow-up of the animals revealed an earlier onset of motor and sensory deficits, associated with an accelerated decline in their overall health.In the short term (3.5 months), no worsening of tauopathy was observed. However, at 6.5 months of age, a significant increase in the density of hyperphosphorylated forms of tau, detected by the pTau(Ser202/Thr205) and pTau(Ser422) antibodies, was observed near the epicenter of the lesion in the contusion-injured animals. By 9 months, this exacerbation of the pathology had spread along the rostral-caudal axis, between spinal cord segments C2 and C7, as well as to the thalamus. Although spinal cord injuries did not alter Tau protein aggregation, in vitro analyses showed that the insoluble protein fraction extracted from the spinal cord of contusion-injured animals possessed greater recruitment capacity.Although no direct causal link could be established, histological, biochemical, and transcriptomic analyses suggest the involvement of microglia, type I interferon signaling, and the p38 MAP kinase pathway in stimulating Tau hyperphosphorylation.Taken together, these results highlight a previously largely underestimated role of mild spinal cord injuries as a factor promoting the development and progression of tauopathies. They also reinforce existing literature suggesting that neuroinflammation—and more specifically, microglial activation and type I interferon signaling—contributes to the progression of these diseases. Finally, this study underscores the importance of long-term follow-up for individuals exposed to spinal cord injuries—even mild ones—due to the potential increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases involving the Tau protein.JuryProf. Pascal KIENLEN-CAMPARD (UCLouvain)Prof. Karelle LEROY (ULB)Prof. Aurélie LADANG (ULiège)Prof. Charles NICAISE (UNamur)Prof. Patsy RENARD (UNamur), ChairProf. Laurence RIS (UMons)

Organized by the Children's Rights Unit of the Vulnerabilities & Societies Center. Information and registration

What the management of "foreign terrorist fighters" and their children says about the fight against terrorism, a carte blanche by elise delhaise, coline remacle and chloé thomas, devoted to the repatriation of the children of Belgian jihadistsLa chronique Carta Academica: ce que la gestion des "combattants terroristes étrangers" et de leurs enfants dit de la lutte contre le terrorismeLa chronique carta academica: "bulles sociales et covid-19: un réveillon qui fait du bruit", a carte blanche by nathalie basecqz and elise delhaise in the December 19, 2020 issue of le journal le soirNew elections, a solution? S. Wattier, in the futureFederal negotiations: one month to go before political chaos, s. Wattier, eveningAbortion law: the need to preserve women's rights, convictions and democracy, s. Wattier, le soirFederal negotiations: mouth-to-mouth, the self-proclamation of June 17, s. Wattier, le soirWhite card "alexander i: le premier gouvernement fédéral qui fait place à la diversité de genre", s.wattier in the newspaper le soir"Après le califat, l'embarras", e. Delhaise, c. Remacle, c. Thomas, la revue nouvelle Pilot projects integrated prevention against burn-out whose commission was chaired by v. FlohimontChronique "pourquoi apprécions-nous tant avoir des règles à suivre à la lettre?" la libre.be - l. RizzerioThe pandemic proves that commitment to the common good is not an abstract idea - la libre, l. RizzerioA step closer to social eugenics? La proposition de loi n° 55-1029 modifiant le code civil en vie d'instaurer une protection juridique prénatale - a paraître dans le jdj, j. FierensCoronavirus: we are all vulnerable, la libre.be, column by Madame l. Rizzerio Isolate? Regroup? What to do with prisoners convicted of terrorism? Interview with Mr. f. Xavier Could the decrees banning ritual slaughter be overturned? in the evening, Madame s. Wattier

Researchers at the Unit study, among other things: children's rights protection systems; children's vulnerability; children's best interests; children's right to autonomy and participation; children's procedural status; children's rights in the context of youth welfare and youth protection: the rights of the child in parentage and adoption law; the rights of the migrant child; the right of the child to a non-violent education; the rights of the child in the digital environment; the rights of intersex children; the rights of transgender children.The Unit's activities are manifold: promotion of doctoral theses and research projects; teaching and training (intervention in the Master de spécialisation interuniversitaire en approche interdisciplinaire des droits de l'enfant, the Certificat en approche interdisciplinaire des droits l'enfant, the Certificat en accompagnement de l'accrochage scolaire et social and the Certificat en approche multidisciplinaire des maltraitances infanto-juvéniles) ; organization and participation in colloquia, conferences, seminars in Belgium and abroad; publication of individual and collective works, articles, commentaries and proceedings; consultancy activities for public or private bodies; links with the associative world (Service Learning); collaboration with universities abroad.List of membersGéraldine Mathieu - Professor and Director of the UnitGilles Abel - Scientific collaborator and philosopherAline Bodson - Doctoral studentEmma Bourcelet - Assistant and doctoral studentManon Brulard -. ResearcherAurélie Cassiers - LecturerCéline Derclaye - Assistant and family mediatorAurore François - Visiting professorMarie Goffaux - Scientific collaborator, lawyer at the Namur BarEmilie Hermans - Doctoral studentPauline Mailleux - AssistantMichaël Mallien - Visiting lecturer, lawyer at the Brussels BarBee Marique - Didactic collaborator, lawyer and family mediator at the Dinant BarFrançois-Xavier Polis - Scientific collaborator, adolescent psychiatrist, director of AthanorAnne-Catherine Rasson - Scientific contributorMathieu Rolain- Didactic contributor and lecturerAgathe Willaume - Scientific contributor, director of SMAJ Other units Health, Social and Well-being Unit Vulnerabilities and Citizens' Rights Unit The CSS