AWARD 2024

Prof. Marc Noppen (UZ Brussels)

A pioneer of modern respiratory medicine

Professor Marc Noppen has made a significant mark on the field of interventional pulmonology worldwide. In particular, he pioneered the development of his own endobronchial stent and played a key role in revising the international guidelines for the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Together with his colleagues, he has also developed minimally invasive thoracoscopic sympathectomy to treat essential hyperhidrosis, the central topic of his doctoral thesis. Throughout his career…

AWARD 2024

Mattijs Bulcaen (KULeuven)

Premium edition for the safe and accurate correction of mutations resistant to modulators responsible for cystic fibrosis

Mattijs Bulcaen and his team have developed an innovative prime editing approach to correct two mutations in the CFTR gene responsible for cystic fibrosis, a serious genetic disorder.
Prime editing, an advanced technology derived from CRISPR, enables these mutations to be precisely repaired. In cell lines and intestinal organoids, the correction restored function…

AWARD 2024 – 1st prize

Azarie VICTOR (UGent)

When the lungs bleed: a rare presentation of Goodpasture’s syndrome

Goodpasture’s syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease characterised by anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies causing severe lung and kidney damage.
We report the case of a 17-year-old patient presenting with isolated diffuse alveolar haemorrhage, with initial serological tests proving negative. Following a recurrence of symptoms and a worsening of the condition, a lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis…

AWARD 2024 – 2nd prize

Emily POLLET (OLV Aalst)

A case of a missing vessel

We present a rare case of a 49-year-old woman with congenital absence of the left pulmonary artery, resulting in significant wasted ventilation and persistent dyspnoea.
Despite maximum inhaled treatment, her lung function tests showed obstruction and very low diffusion capacity.
A catheterisation procedure revealed compensatory blood supply via accessory arteries.

AWARD 2024 – 1st prize

Hannelore VAN EECKHOUTTE (UGent)

Pathophysiology of COPD: tracing the cell death cascade to identify a target

The RIPK1 protein plays a central role in programmed cell death and inflammation, two key factors in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study demonstrated increased RIPK1 expression in several types of lung cells in COPD patients and in mice exposed to cigarette smoke.
Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of RIPK1 kinase activity significantly reduced…

AWARD 2025

Nikita Van de Velde (Saint-Pierre University Hospital)

An unexpected catch: when a pleural effusion takes us for a ride!

This clinical case illustrates an unusual presentation of pleural tuberculosis in a 48-year-old female patient with no significant past medical history, who was initially admitted for bilateral pulmonary embolism with no identified risk factors. A PET-CT scan carried out as part of the further investigation revealed several suspicious abnormalities, initially suggesting a malignant condition. Three months later, the patient presented again with shortness of breath and chest pain, and a right-sided pleural effusion was detected.