Cancer and telomeres
Among the first scientists to be honored: ULB doctor Stanislas Goriely, immunologist; UCLouvain oncologist Annabelle Decottignies, specialist in telomeres, these markers of aging which could play an important role against cancer; the art historian Laure Fagnart (ULiège) for whom Leonardo da Vinci became “a familiar” ; and physicist Michaël Lobet from UNamur, who will talk about Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak. What they have in common is that they are all researchers at the National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS), the research funding agency in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which is a partner of the show.
“Our goal is to give visibility to research, in particular to fundamental research since it is our core business. We wanted to offer the general public the opportunity to understand what researchers do, why they do it, how they do, with what methods and what means. Also understand that research is a long process that requires a lot of patience. It is full of joy but also full of doubts and difficulties.a”, explains Véronique Halloin, secretary general of the FNRS.
Who is Véronique Halloin, rewarded for having strengthened scientific links between Belgium and France?
The show also aims to represent research in its diversity. “It will range from cancer to particle physics via art history, immunology etc. Sometimes people say that research is limited to the life sciences. No, that’s a lot broader! Spectators will also be able to see the impact that this research can have on the state of knowledge or on society. It will also be an opportunity to show that French-speaking Belgian research has nothing to be ashamed of compared to the rest. from Europe, to the United States or to China! We have very good researchers who publish in major international scientific journals.”
Focus “original”
If for their part, the Belgian media generally give a good share to science – “not a day goes by” without there being any mention in the media of one or the other FNRS scientist – it is usually linked to the expertise of that scientist or the end result of their research. Here, the focus will rather be on “behind the scenes”, their daily reality: “What is different here is that the idea is to highlight the research approach, the issues, the constraints and the practical reality, which we see less often. This focus is original,” believes Véronique Halloin. Finally, the desire was for the scientific research process to be “incarnate” in personalities “like you and me” but which also have a “clean course”, while diversifying genders, ages and universities.
The broadcast will start this Wednesday, November 6 at 11 p.m., with three rebroadcasts. The capsules will also be hosted on the Libre website, in the “Planet” tab via a specific “Scientific Videos” space, but also on the DH and L’Avenir websites. Twenty broadcasts are planned.
