KU Leuven launches three new research institutes

Three new KU Leuven Institutes have received recognition: Leuven.IRD (Institute for Rare Diseases), LIGAS (Institute for Genetics and Society) and LIVO (Educational Research Institute). These institutes carry out interdisciplinary research with a societal relevance.

Leuven.IRD: combining exeprtise for improvement in research and health care

A rare disease is a disease that affects less than 1 in 2,000 people, but, together, the more than 6,000 known rare diseases are not so rare after all. More than half a million people in Belgium are affected by a rare disease, but the expertise on the subject is highly fragmented. The Leuven Institute for Rare Diseases (Leuven.IRD) aims to combine research expertise in rare diseases at this university and uses an interdisciplinary approach to look for solutions to the challenges that come with these diseases. 

There is a large number of researchers studying rare diseases at KU Leuven. They study a wide range of topics: looking for the genetic cause, diagnosis, overarching social topics like orphan drugs, patient rights, and the psychosocial impact on the patient and their family and friends. Combining research on rare diseases makes the research more visible and helps create an overview of where expertise can be found in the organisation. The interdisciplinarity and intense collaboration also allow teams to lift their research and its funding to a higher level.

Leuven.IRD groups patient-oriented research that goes beyond the medical level. For instance, legal, financial or other barriers can prevent patients from having sufficient access to available health care. Starting from this patient-oriented perspective, the institute wants to be a leading knowledge centre for academic researchers, policy-makers, funding bodies, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders who are looking for expertise on rare diseases.

‘KU Leuven and its university hospitals house many experts that conduct research on rare diseases,’ says Marion Delcroix, director of Leuven.IRD. ‘This expertise was hard to find before, which meant that joint topics for interdisciplinary collaboration often remained under the radar. These collaborations are needed to find solutions to the challenges that come with rare diseases.’

Visit the Leuven.IRD website

LIGAS: promote understanding of (human) genetics in society 

The NIPT test, DNA relationship tests, commercial DNA tests, forensic genetics, the CRISPR-Cas genetic engineering technique... DNA raises many personal questions - about your health, family history, future child... At the same time, it is an increasingly important factor in our society, as a source of biomedical data, as an archive of evolution and history, and as a key to identification and biological kinship. The social impact of genetics goes beyond the biomedical sector. It also has important ethical, legal and sociological implications. 

This dynamic inspired the creation of LIGAS, the new KU Leuven Institute for Genetics and Society. With interdisciplinary research, education and communication, the institute wants to contribute to a better understanding and a well-considered application of genetic knowledge in society. LIGAS focuses on four pillars: 

1. The genome in 4D: the social role of genetic diversity through time and space, from old DNA to present and future technologies
2. Inclusive DNA: ethical integration of genetic technologies to promote equality and diversity 
3. Genetic literacy for all: developing strategies for responsible and sustainable communication and participation in human genetics 
4. DNA data overload: the challenges that come with the abundance of genetic data pushed by technological progress 

‘In the past few decades, major progress has been made in unravelling the human genome. We have gained more insight into the topic, but with that insight comes a greater complexity too,’ says Professor Maarten Larmuseau, director of LIGAS. ‘With this new institute, we want to contribute to a better understanding of the potential added value and applications, and of the potential limits, risks and obstacles.’ 

Visit the LIGAS website

LIVO: interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on complex challenges in education

The teacher shortage, empty lunch boxes, old infrastructure, the downward trend in school results for Flemish students in international comparative research, and the multilingualism and super diversity of students are some of the many challenges that the Flemish education system faces. These issues are often the subject of social debate and have helped build the foundations for the creation of the new KU Leuven institute LIVO (Leuven Educational Research Institute). This institute wants to apply an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach and aims to contribute to scientifically sound solutions for these issues. 

LIVO focuses on compulsory education and higher education, but also on lifelong learning, adult education, and professional development. The new institute has identified four priorities linked to the complex challenges in the current education system: social inequality and inclusion, teaching methodology and curriculum, digitisation of education, and quality assurance. 

LIVO aims to strengthen, breathe new life into and give further valorisation to educational research at KU Leuven by promoting collaboration between researchers from different disciplines, faculties and groups within the university. This interdisciplinary approach allows the university to develop new and more complex lines of research, establish more international collaborations, and increase recognition in Belgium and abroad. The institute shows commitment to valorisation and social impact, with research results aimed at improving teaching practices and educational policy at all levels. 

Visit the LIVO website LIVO kick-off event on Feb 17

Overview of the KU Leuven Institutes

This article was first published on 12 February by KU Leuven.