KU Leuven experts receive The Francqui-Collen Awards
Laureates Sarah-Maria Fendt (KU Leuven/VIB) and Philippe Lemey (KU Leuven) have been praised by the international jury for their research into the metastasis of cancer cells and the real-time genetic mapping of viruses.
It is the second time since 2020 that the Francqui Foundation has awarded its prestigious Franqui-Collen prize in biological and medical sciences to two laureates. This year, the honor goes to two researchers from KU Leuven: Sarah-Maria Fendt, who is also affiliated with VIB, and Philippe Lemey, researcher at the Rega Institute. The international jury praises the laureates for their pioneering work and the global impact of their research.
Nutrition of cancer cells
The Belgian-German Sarah-Maria Fendt (42) focuses her fundamental research on the metastasis of cancer cells, more specifically on the nutrients that cancer cells need to proliferate in other organs, a process we call metastasis. Fendt and her team found that those cells feed differently as they spread. In addition, her research has shown that by focusing on how nutrients are processed, the growth and spread of cancer cells to other organs can be limited. Today, most cancer patients die from metastases, and the discoveries made by Fendt and her team open the door to new, life-saving treatments.
Fendt not only looks at the nutrition of proliferating cancer cells, but also at what patients eat. In research on mice, she discovered that a high-fat diet promotes the spread of cancer. In a subsequent study, Fendt and her team want to see whether certain diets can also prevent the spread of cancer.
“BEAST” against virus outbreaks
The Belgian Philippe Lemey (45) has built important tools with his applied research in the fight against the spread of viruses. These have been brought together in the software “BEAST”, which maps the genetic code of viruses in real time, so that governments can gain a sharper view of a virus outbreak more quickly and can immediately take measures to prevent further spread. For example, the program was of great importance during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa (2014-2016) and the Lassa outbreak in Central Africa (2018).
Today, the software program, which Lemey has been building since 2004, is regarded as the global workhorse of genetic epidemiology. It has revolutionized virology and our understanding of how viruses evolve, spread, what impact they cause and how to control them.
About the Francqui Foundation
The Francqui Foundation, founded in 1932 by the Belgian soldier, businessman and diplomat Emile Francqui and then US President Herbert Hoover, promotes higher education and scientific research in Belgium. It encourages fundamental, selfless research and inter-university collaboration through initiatives such as the Francqui Prize for young Belgian scholars, the Francqui and Internationale Francqui Professor Chairs, and scholarships in partnership with the Belgian American Educational Foundation.
The Francqui Prize is awarded annually to scientists under the age of 50. The Prize is awarded in turn to the exact sciences, the humanities and the biological and medical sciences. In the latter category, the international jury awards two prizes, following a donation from the Belgian biotech pioneer Désiré baron Collen. These prizes bear the name Francqui-Collen Prize.