This year's Scientific Awards AstraZeneca Foundation are awarded for research into treatment of auto-immune disease, stress and health at work, and healthy aging.

The winners are :

Johann Morelle, Lecturer and Associate Clinical Head at UCLouvain

Johann Morelle has been involved in identifying some of the autoantibodies responsible for kidney disease. He is developing an innovative research programme at the Institut de Duve. His discoveries are paving the way for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to personalised medicine for autoimmune kidney diseases.

Els Clays, Associate Professor, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UGent

Work-related health and well-being are at the heart of Els Clays' research. Through several studies, the researcher and her team have highlighted the increased cardiovascular risks associated with certain stress factors. The team is also exploring psychosocial risk factors.

Charlotte Beaudart, Lecturer, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Narilis Institute, UNamur

Charlotte Beaudart is interested in sarcopenia, an age-related disease that leads to a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. After conducting research to gain a better understanding of the progression of the disease, she helped create a questionnaire and developed a statistical tool to assess patients' quality of life and help practitioners.

Each year, the AstraZeneca Foundation entrusts the selection of three award-winners to independent juries appointed by the FNRS and the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO).

© photo AstraZeneca Foundation

On December 12, 2023, the FNRS Board of Directors awarded 4 AMG-Neuro.

This funding, the first in the field of neuroscience, is intended to support research projects with an original and daring character, but which do not find support in traditional funding channels due to a lack of preliminary data, absence of previous work or unusual methodology.

The 4 projects selected relate to neuroscience in the broadest sense, with the exception of cognitive science and nervous system cancers.

On December 12, 2023, the FNRS Board of Directors awarded a Research Credit to 144 candidates.

On December 12, 2023, the FNRS Board of Directors granted funding to 87 PDR.

On December 12, 2023, the FNRS Board of Directors awarded an EQP to 26 candidates.