Brendan Reid comes from New Jersey, USA.  He was appointed Professor of Biology at the University of Namur in September 2025 and became a member of the Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE).  His research focusses on changes in aquatic and semi aquatic organisms and communities. He is particularly interested in fish and herps.  To carry out his research, he uses (meta)genomics and field research, as well as demographic and genomic data.  The goal? The preservation and management of diversity.

Brendan Reid's research combines cutting-edge genomic sequencing in space and time with habitat and demographic data, and computational methods.  The aim is to understand the evolutionary responses of species and communities to environmental change over time and to propose conservation solutions to ensure their sustainability. He is particularly interested in using genetics and museum collections to understand the basis of species responses to new stresses and to preserve biodiversity in the current era of global climate change.

In a mid-January seminar, Brendan Reid presented his research to his new colleagues: the members of the ILEE Institute and members of the Department of Biology, URBE.

How can genetics teach us about biological diversity? 

He carried out a postdoc research project about the genetic barcoding and identification of marine and freshwater turtles.  Another research project enabled him to analyse environmental DNA to assess different communities in highly human-impacted environments: reef monitoring, rivers in urban environments.

Photo: A Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) from one of the populations studied in Wisconsin © Brendan Reid 

How does loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding affect small populations?

He investigated this question in 2 postdoc research projects: one about the genetics of freshwater fish and another one about the inbreeding and fitness in endangered rattlesnakes.

How do populations respond to increasing human impact over time?

His PhD was about turtles and roads.  There is still ongoing work on turtles thanks to a USFWS grant.  He is currently leading a large-scale project to create a genomic database for the endangered Blanding's turtle, which will be used in USA conservation planning and forensics.

Postdoc research was carried out on historical genomics of fish to investigate how genetical diversity has changed over time. The “fisheries-induced evolution in cod project” used historic and contemporary samples from Norway and from Newfoundland, Canada. 

Photo: Brendan Reid in the Lofoten Islands, Norway, with drying racks used in Norwegian cod fishing—one of the studies in which researchers used samples from 1907 paired with samples from the 2010s to understand how cod have adapted to overfishing. © Patrice Escandon

The article “Detecting parallel polygenic adaptation to novel evolutionary pressure in wild populations: a case study in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)” is available in open access.

For historical samples, this was made possible in particular through the ARC Albatros recollection project (in the Philippines) refers to the USS Albatros expedition in 1908-1909, which brought back a huge collection of specimens conserved in ethanol (high powered rum 😊), not formalin.  More than 10.000 specimens were paired with contemporary sampling taken from 60 sites between 2017 and 2022. 

The ongoing PIRE project in the Philippines investigates changes in tropical (not temperate) regions, though a main goal is to determine whether the trends are similar across different climatic zones.  It links museum specimens collected in the early 1900s to contemporary populations to understand how habitat changes have influenced the neutral and adaptive genetic diversity of fish.

All of this research has led to the general conclusion that insect, bird, mammal, and fish populations have declined and lost between 6% and 16% of their diversity to date. Genomics confirms a recent collapse in populations, probably linked to habitat change caused by human activity. There has also been a 4% loss of diversity in areas with high human density, and stronger selection in areas of greater development. Finally, tropical fish are losing their genetic diversity overall.

Brendan would also like to look into historical genomics (mainly in insects) to identify signs of change and adaptation in communities based on data collected from specimens.

And work on the renaturation of Europe in general, mainly rivers and canals.

Brendan would like to determine species conservation needs and issues by analyzing breeding programs in zoos. He also wants to continue genetic analysis of populations and collect data in the field in order to maintain consistency between theory and practice and, above all, to accurately target the species most in need of protection. 

Given his wealth of research, cutting-edge expertise, and motivation, it is no surprise that Brendan Reid was chosen to join the URBE team in the Department of Biology.

Welcome, Brendan! 

HEPATANT is a project run by the Wagralim Competitiveness Cluster and coordinated by ORTIS Laboratories, a company that has been a pioneer in the field of phytosanitary products (plant-based dietary supplements) for 60 years. It aims to find a natural treatment for fatty liver disease.  Several partners are involved in the project, including Professor Thierry Arnould (UNamur, URBC-Narilis).

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is an accumulation of fat in the liver linked to metabolic disorders associated with metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, or excessive alcohol consumption.  Initially, it is often asymptomatic but can progress to inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, or even liver cancer. However, it is reversible in its early stages (steatosis).  Treatment is based on weight loss, a healthy diet (reduced sugar/fat intake), and physical exercise, as few specific drugs have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) at this time.  Dietary supplements—based on plants known to be beneficial—are often used to treat this type of condition, but there is little or no scientific and mechanistic evidence on the actual effects of these products.

If the effectiveness of a dietary supplement or combination of supplements could be demonstrated, it would be possible to intervene at the primary stage of the condition and undoubtedly prevent this liver disorder, thereby halting or at least slowing its progression to advanced or even irreversible stages.  This is the aim of this project, in which Professor Thierry Arnould was chosen for his expertise in lipid metabolism. Professor Arnould and postdoctoral researcher Célia Thomas are testing plant extracts (including hops) in vitro on fat-laden cells to investigate the effects that increase or decrease lipid accumulation. 

The originality and feasibility of the project lie in the alliance of scientific experts internationally recognized for their expertise in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, and in technological and agronomic sciences, with renowned industrialists in their field of expertise related to the project's needs. 

In addition to its main objective of creating an effective formulation against hepatic steatosis by combining the best plants or plant substances, this project also aims to generate economic growth, create and sustain jobs in Wallonia, and contribute to the international reputation of the Walloon partner universities: UCLouvain and UNamur.

Since their creation in 2006, competitiveness clusters have brought together companies, accredited research centers, and universities around ambitious collaborative projects. Supported and funded by the Walloon Region to stimulate innovation and economic growth, competitiveness cluster projects are organized around six strategic sectors: biotechnology (BioWin), aerospace (SkyWin Wallonia), logistics (Logistics in Wallonia), green chemistry (GreenWin), mechanical engineering (Mecatech), and food system transition (Wagralim). aerospace (SkyWin Wallonia), logistics (Logistics in Wallonia), green chemistry (GreenWin), mechanical engineering (Mecatech), and food system transition (Wagralim). 

The projects aim to develop innovative products, services, or processes, creating jobs and strengthening international competitiveness. UNamur is heavily involved in these projects.

From fundamental to applied research, UNamur demonstrates every day that research is a driver of transformation. Thanks to the commitment of its researchers, the support of its partners from all walks of life, funders, industrial partners, and a solid ecosystem of valorization, UNamur actively participates in shaping a society that is open to the world, more innovative, more responsible, and more sustainable.

Alison Forrester is also a member of the Faculty of Science, Department of Biology (URBC), a member of the NARILIS Research Institute, a researcher at the Namur Research College (NARC), and an investigator at the WEL Research Institute.

The mammalian body is made up of proteins, lipids and water, with proteins making up 42 % of the total dry mass of a human body. Therefore, protein synthesis is a key process for the body. The biosynthetic pathway begins with amino acid chains in the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER). They are modified, folded and then packaged into transport carriers at the ER Exit Site (ERES), transporting them to the Golgi for further modification. From there they are packaged into post-Golgi carriers to deliver the fully folded proteins to their destination, either inside the cell, or to the plasma membrane where they remain, or they are secreted into the extracellular space. Thus, efficient protein synthesis and transport is a key process to maintain homeostasis. 

When it is lost, it can cause many common and varied diseases.  The process is highly regulated to quickly meet the needs of the cell and the body, for example, increase in secretion of insulin in response to glucose, or increase in collagen secretion during postnatal growth, and also to ensure that no improperly made proteins are distributed throughout the cell. 

When this goes wrong, it can be the cause of diseases such as fibrosis which is caused by excessive protein production, or osteogenesis imperfecta which is caused by a mutation in one of the ERES proteins. 

Alison’s research group studies how different compounds can be used to modify the efficiency of the protein trafficking process, and how this will affect the normal balance within the cell. 

This roadmap article provides a total view of Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) exit sites (ERES), specialized subdomains of the ER where folded proteins are selected and packaged into membrane-bound carriers that transport the nascent proteins on the first main step of their journey to be secreted. The discovery of ERES is not new, and the foundational discoveries of protein and lipid trafficking were awarded the Nobel prize in 2013. However, new technologies now allow us to revisit the original hypotheses, as well as to drive the field further than ever before. This renaissance has uncovered new exciting areas in this field that are discussed in this roadmap article, including how ERES are actually organised, how they can adapt their function to other known physiological roles such as autophagy and lipid droplet formation, and how the process of protein recruitment and trafficking can be regulated pharmacologically. It is the latter question that Alison Forrester is interested in addressing. 

Protein trafficking dysfunction, including misfolding or aggregation, excessive or decreased protein transport, and the stress responses linked to these dysfunctions are at the heart of many cellular pathologies, ranging from neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases), where the accumulation of toxic proteins disrupts neuronal function and kills cells; cancer, affecting cell division, migration and survival; to protein transport disorders arising from mutations in the cargo, such as cystic fibrosis. These alterations lead to an overload of quality control systems (including ER-stress and autophagy) and serious pathologies, highlighting the importance of protein transport for cellular health.

In the article, published in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, the researchers propose a multidisciplinary framework — leveraging advances in the recent progress in certain technologies including high and super-resolution imaging, synthetic reconstitution and computational modelling — to delineate the principles governing the function and plasticity of ERES. Here, the University of Namur is well positioned to provide the tools needed by Dr Forrester’s team. 

Alison obtained an F.R.S.-FNRS position as a Qualified Researcher (CQ) at the University of Namur, Department of Biology (URBC), and became a member of the NARILIS Institute in October 2022. 

Since completing her PhD, she has built her expertise in advanced imaging techniques including confocal and high-resolution microscopy, live cell imaging, notably including Lattice Light-sheet microscopy, and electron microscopy).

She works in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment, combining cell biology, chemical biology, advanced microscopy and image analysis to build fundamental projects that will develop into translation research.

Alison Forrester organizes a monthly microscopy communitymeeting, open to all light microscopy users at the University of Namur and organises a number of prestigious international conferences, including the FEBS-EMBO Advanced Lecture course on membranes and their lipids and proteins in organelle biogenesis, which will be held on the Greek island of Spetses in May 2026.

Strategically located at the intersection of the Andes mountain range, the Amazon rainforest, and the Galápagos Islands (made famous by a certain Charles Darwin), Ecuador is a hotspot of biodiversity. More than 150 years after the naturalist's observations, this country remains a popular field of study for scientists investigating how wild organisms adapt to changes in their environment.

As part of a two-year project funded by the ARES International Cooperation Commission (ARES-CCI), Professors Frédéric Silvestre and Alice Dennis from the Environmental and Evolutionary Biology Research Unit (URBE) at UNamur have formed a partnership with the Universidad Central Del Ecuador. The goal? To apply the genetic and epigenetic techniques developed in the Namur laboratories to fish and macroinvertebrates in Ecuadorian streams. 

An initial sampling campaign was conducted this summer, and another is planned for next spring, with Frédéric Silvestre and Alice Dennis participating. This collaboration also enabled URBE to welcome an Ecuadorian researcher who came to train in nanopore sequencing techniques, used in this project, and to carry out tests on samples of the species studied. Nanopore sequencing is a method of sequencing long DNA strands using an electrical signal. "This technique is very advantageous because it facilitates genome assembly and allows us to work on both the DNA sequence and its modifications. Nanopore sequencing also uses very small, portable equipment that is easy to use in the field," the researcher continues. The aim of using this technology is to demonstrate the feasibility of this process and, ultimately, to contribute to the development of more effective biodiversity conservation policies based on concrete genetic data.

Newly appointed Vice-Rector for International and External Relations at UNamur, Stéphane Leyens is involved in no fewer than four projects in Peru, working closely with the Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC). Located in the Andes mountain range at an altitude of nearly 3,500 meters, this university has been receiving support from the ARES International Cooperation Commission (ARES-CCI) since 2009 to improve the quality of its teaching and strengthen its research capabilities. These projects are set against the backdrop of the new "university law," which has profoundly changed the landscape of higher education by emphasizing teacher training and the social responsibility of universities, which are now encouraged to integrate issues such as interculturality, the environment, and gender into a local rural development perspective. 

It must be said that the country's cultural, political, and socioeconomic context is undergoing profound change. As a result, rural communities are torn between their attachment to traditional lifestyles and the appeal of the economic opportunities offered by the modernization of agriculture or the growth of tourism. 

It is this tension that Stéphane Leyens is studying in the district of Ocongate (department of Cuzco), located on the route of the Southern Interoceanic Highway. "This paved road, connecting Lima to Sao Paulo and completed in 2006, has completely transformed the community and socio-economic dynamics of the Quechua populations of the high Andes, providing access to the mines of the Amazon, urban markets, higher education institutions, and opening up the region to tourism. The idea was therefore to study this change in dynamics through the prism of family and community decision-making, with a particular focus on education, agricultural activities, and gender issues," explains Stéphane Leyens. These questions—which particularly resonate with the realities experienced by the population—led to two doctoral research projects conducted by Peruvian researchers. 

In the same vein, and in a brand new project, the researcher is looking at the impact of the development of informal mining operations on the local economy from an original angle: Quechua epistemology. This project is based on a partnership with a team from the Universidad Nacional José María Arguedas (UNAJMA), which specializes in this approach.

"As part of the Master's degree in physics, we are required to do an internship in Belgium or elsewhere. I chose to fly to Brazil because local researchers are conducting research related to my thesis topic. It was also an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and experience life in a distant country.

It went very well, both academically and personally. I had the opportunity to help write an article and follow the entire publication process. The work was very loosely organized, and I was able to conduct my research independently. I quickly formed lasting friendships, particularly by participating in forró classes, a Brazilian dance.

If I had one piece of advice to give, it would be: go for it! Going far away can be scary, but it teaches you a lot, especially the fact that you are capable of bouncing back in sometimes unpredictable situations."

- Thaïs Nivaille, physics student