Thinking and acting freely is in the DNA of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). But what does that freedom really mean for our scientists, researchers, staff, students and alumni? How does it shape the way they think and act? In this video series, we hand the mic to people who stand with both feet in science and in society. This time: hydrogeologist Marijke Huysmans and doctor-researcher Willem Staels.
Marijke Huysmans: âFree to research with purpose and a critical eyeâ
Professor Marijke Huysmans is an expert in groundwater hydrology. She studies how we can manage our scarce groundwater sustainably, now that drought is no longer a future threat, but a daily challenge. Through her work at VUB, she aims to offer real solutions for drought, climate adaptation and water management â not just in labs, but out in the field and in policy too. Because water isnât a given. Itâs a choice.
Willem Staels: âFree to go beyond treatment and truly healâ
Dr Willem Staels is a paediatrician and researcher. Heâs searching for ways to not just treat type 1 diabetes more effectively, but to actually cure it. At VUB, he explores how beta cells behave during transplantation and regeneration â and how blood vessels play a role in that process. Heâs also developing early diagnostic tools to prevent complications and slow the diseaseâs progression. His freedom? The space to be creative and ambitious. To dream of a kind of medicine that doesn't stop at treatment, but pushes for real healing.
*This is a machine translation. We apologise for any inaccuracies.
