Research Projects

Nocturne specializes in products and services that allow diagnosing neurologic disorders through imaging of the eye. Nocturne’s proprietary technology (patent pending) analyses 3D images of the retina, which are obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT is a noninvasive imaging technology routinely used in ophthalmology. Standard OCT...

Demographic analyses predict that one third of the 10 millions Belgian population in 2050 will be above 60 years of age. Since aging is the major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), this increase in the proportion of seniors is closely linked to the increased prevalence of AD. With the advent of promising symptomatic treatment, it is critical...

Since its discovery more than a decade ago, the most studied network in the human brain remains a paradox. The default mode network (DMN) is most active during the resting state and deactivates once subjects engage in goal directed behavior. Although reported in hundreds of studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the function of...

Alzheimer’s (AD) is a global epidemic with 50 M people suffering it and 76 M expected by 2030 (related costs near $1 Tri in 2018). To diminish its burden, an early detection is crucial, specially when modifying treatments become available. The most accurate method to measure AD hallmarks is positron emission tomography (PET), but current PET...

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia affecting more than 35 million people worldwide and its prevalence is projected to nearly double every 20 years with tremendous social and economical impact on the society. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease and current drugs only temporarily improve disease symptoms. Alzheimer's...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major public health problem with substantial economical and social impacts worldwide. Despite intense research, the pathological mechanisms of AD are still unclear. Under homeostasis, a delicate balance is struck between disposal of pathogenic proteins by the brain’s immune cells, microglia, and the inflammation...

This proposal aims to increase our understanding of the role of translational failure in human neurodegenerative diseases. We recently discovered the mechanism by which protein misfolding leads to neurodegeneration in prion disease. The pathway involved is a generic cellular pathway, a branch of the unfolded protein response (UPR) that controls...

The aim of this Project is to create an International and Intersectoral network to facilitate the exchange of staff to progress developments in reminding technologies for persons with dementia which can be deployed in smart environments. The focus will be on developing staff and partner skills in the areas of user centered design and behavioral...

Luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes are highly promising candidates for biomarkers for amyloid misfolds and thereby for early-stage detection of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's disease. The elucidation of the microscopic mechanism and design principles behind these biomarkers requires theoretical assistance...

Current knowledge of neurodegenerative diseases is limited by poor understanding of how they progress through the central nervous system (CNS). It has recently been hypothesized that clinical progression in these conditions involves the systematic spreading of protein misfolding along neuronal pathways. Protein aggregates would trigger misfolding...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a tremendous burden and there are still no therapies available. Most clinical trials have focused on the late disease stages where neuronal damage is already severe and irreversible. To intervene in earlier stages, it is essential to understand how AD pathology affects brain systems early in the disease. Beyond that, we...

There are an increasing number of people across Europe with debilitating speech pathologies (e.g., due to stroke, Parkinson's, etc). These groups face communication problems that can lead to social exclusion. They are now being further marginalised by a new wave of speech technology that is increasingly woven into everyday life but which is not...