News

December 2023

We are looking for a Research Scientist and an Animal Caretaker to join the BISDI lab at Khalifa University. Are you or do you know the ideal candidate(s)? Explore the vacancies and please help us spread the word.

October 2023

UAE ambassador H.E. Mohamed Al Sahlawi visits the BISDI-Leuven team. "Thank you Prof Peter Carmeliet, Dr Habiba Al Safar & Flanders Investment & Trade for making this a reality. Let's open the door to innovation & global learning," shared the UAE Embassy-Brussels on Twitter/X.

September 2023

Animal research continues to play a vital role in biomedical research, including the research within the BISDI program. The legal framework is built around the principles of refinement, reduction and replacement of animal experiments where possible, and on benchmarked training of all staff involved in animal experiments. Mohammed Nabil Abdulhamed holds a Bachelor degree in Veterinary Science and was recruited to the BISDI team at Khalifa University to follow up on animal work on site. He is currently in Leuven for a 3-month training in mouse husbandry, handling and surgery. In this way, he will be fully prepared when the animal facility at Khalifa University will be operational.

August 2023

Three KU Leuven-VIB members visited Khalifa University to share their expertise in histology, microscopy, imaging, and analysis. From checking product allocation to providing standard operating procedures, and training for tissue embedding, paraffin sectioning, different stainings, etc. It was also the perfect opportunity to check the performance of the newly installed confocal microscope. 

August 2023

Three Khalifa University scientists, postdocs Sara Azzam and Halima Alnaqbi, and PhD student Fatima Al-shamsi, visited the Leuven lab for two weeks to receive hands-on training in the design and use of in vivo technology, training in the processing of in vitro or in vivo samples, cloning, gene editing, cell transfection, silencing of target genes, real-time PCR, sequencing, luciferase tests, bioinformatics analysis, and an initiation to machine learning (ML) and the use of AI for target gene discovery, identification, and selection.

August 2023

Nouf Al Jafaari, Technology Portfolio Specialist - Biological Sciences at Khalifa University, and Ahoud AlnShehhi Agreements Specialist, visited VIB and were immersed in the ins and outs of the VIB Innovation & Business team: from tech transfer to business development, contract follow-up, discovery sciences, etc. All topics were covered during VIB's intense one-week tech transfer course.

13 Dec 2022

Dr. Peter Rodgers, Director of Research Laboratories (Khalifa University), visited the BISDI KU Leuven team for a tour of the Specific Pathogen-free (mouse) Facility in Leuven, in light of the set-up and management of the Vivarium at Khalifa University. Peter Rodgers discussed technical and conceptual details with Peter Carmeliet and Luc Schoonjans from the BISDI Leuven team, as well as Dr. Veterinary Medicine and Director of the KU Leuven Animal Facility, Kris Meurrens. 

26 November 2022

A delegation of the Leuven BISDI team was in Abu Dhabi this week for several workshops and meetings. The Belgian Ambassador in UAE, HE Antoine Delcourt, together with representatives from Flanders Investment and Trade, visited the BISDI facilities at Khalifa University. All BISDI project partners were invited at a networking reception at the Ambassador’s residence.

The Khalifa University (UAE) and VIB-KU Leuven (Belgium) enter a unique bilateral exchange program to improve healthcare, a first in the mutual relationship between the two nations and a milestone for future collaborations in joint biomedical research and drug development. The new program, directed by Prof. Dr. Peter Carmeliet (VIB-KU Leuven), aspires to develop new treatments for diabetes by innovative artificial intelligence-based target discovery and drug target validation tools.