About the ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI)
Given the major recent progresses in immunology, the teams involved in the field at the ULB have created a dedicated research institute. This institute brings together researchers from the Faculties of Sciences, Medicine and Pharmacy. Its aim is to promote fundamental and translational immunology. The teams, led by more than 25 principal investigators, are active on the BIOPARK campus (Gosselies) and the HEALTH POLE (Erasme campus, Institut Jules Bordet and Brugmann campus).
Research Axis:
Molecular Immunology : With a particular emphasis on innate immune cells and T lymphocytes, these projects involve state-of-the art approaches in molecular biology, flow cytometry and imaging to study transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic processes.
Pre-clinical Immunology : It involves the development of mouse models for human pathologies or therapeutic interventions. Several projects rely on implantable/genetic tumor models, infections and vaccination protocols or chronic inflammation. The animal facilities from the BIOPARK campus include a specific pathogen-free structure and several units dedicated to experimentation and infectious pathogens.
Human and translational Immunology : Research teams involved in human immunology are mainly located in the HEALTH POLE. It involves projects in vaccinology, infectious diseases, hematology and cancerology that rely on strong collaborative networks with clinicians.
Latest news
New publication in Gut microbes on the dynamic connection between the maternal microbiome and the offspring immunity
January 06th 2025 - 15:27
Influenza virus causes a significant threat to neonatal health characterized by a less robust anti-viral adaptive CD8 T-cell response. In this publication, researchers from the group of Véronique Flamand (IMI) uncovered how maternal probiotic supplementation during pregnancy and lactation empowers neonatal immunity. By enhancing the development and protective function of effector and memory CD8 T cells, probiotics offer robust defense against influenza virus in offspring. Furthermore, in collaboration with the team of Amandine Everard (UCLouvain), they showed profound changes in the...
Solange Dejolier présentera ses travaux de thèse en cours lors de la première édition d'automne d'Immuno-Connect, organisée à l'Institut GIGA de l'Université de Liège le 24 octobre, de 16h à 21h.
JELENA GABRILO will be held on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2ND, AT 3:00 PM AT: The Brachet Seminar Room, Gosselies Campus 12, Rue des Professeurs Jeneer et Brachet, 6041 Gosselies
as well as online via Teams: QR code (click on the title above)
New publication in Science Translational Medicine on the imprinting of monocytes by vaccine adjuvants
August 14th 2024 - 14:27
Most vaccines based on recombinant antigens rely on coadministration with an adjuvant to elicit a robust immune response. Although adjuvants are needed for many vaccines, it is less clear which adjuvant(s) should be paired with each immunogen. In this article, GSK and IMI researchers from the group of Fabienne Willems and Arnaud Marchant showed that an AS01-adjuvanted hepatitis B virus vaccine, which induces robust CD4+ T cell responses against the vaccine antigen, also elicited trained immunity in human recipients, which was not observed in an Alum-adjuvanted vaccine. These data demonstrate...
Guillem Sanchez Sanchez is selected as a finalist for the F.R.S.-FNRS best PhD thesis prize in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
July 09th 2024 - 18:07
Guillem Sanchez Sanchez, from David Vermijlen's laboratory, defended his thesis in December 2023, entitled “Decoding early life γδ T cell ontogeny and their response to bacterial infection through the lens of single-cell transcriptomics”. Recently, Guillem was selected as one of three finalists for the F.R.S.-FNRS in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He will present his work together with the two other finalists at the end of October 2024 on the UCLouvain campus in Brussels.
New publication in Nature Communications: Invariant γδTCR natural killer-like effector T cells in the naked mole-rat
May 30th 2024 - 11:33
Naked mole-rats are long-lived rodents known to be resistant to the development of cancer, yet their immune system remains poorly explored. Now, in a study published in Nature Communications, Guillem Sanchez Sanchez from the team of David Vermijlen with collaborators from the University of Rochester and from IMGT identify natural killer-like effector γδ T cells that express a dominant γδ T cell receptor and may serve a role in tumour immunosurveillance.
EDT-Immunology PhD day "Immunology Research: From Disease to Therapeutic Solutions": May 23, 2024
April 02nd 2024 - 08:58
Dear colleagues,
It's our pleasure to invite you to attend the EDT-Immunology PhD day "Immunology Research: From Disease to Therapeutic Solutions". The conference will take place on May 23, 2024 in the beautiful building of La Grand Poste in the city center of Liege (Belgium).
The registration and abstract submission are now open via this link
Abstract submission is open until April 28th and registration until May 10th.
Registration is free but mandatory for all Belgian university-affiliated members ! The event is open to all (PIs, post-docs, PhD, master students, technicians, etc) and will...
Princess Lilian Foundation – Visiting professorships 2024 - DAVID LYDEN: "The premetastatic niche"
March 27th 2024 - 09:37
H.R.H. Princess Marie-Esmeralda of Belgium, the Princess Lilian Foundation and the University of Liège are pleased to invite you to the opening ceremony of the Foundation's annual scientific research week.
This year, the Foundation will welcome and honour Professor David Lyden from Weill Cornell Medical College (WCM, USA). Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Cellular Oncology Programme at WCM, he is internationally renowned for his pioneering research on the pre-metastatic niche and biology of exosome in the metastatic process.
Day 1 (ULiège) Wednesday April 17 Opening ceremony in the...
New article in Cell Reports: How Th2 cells control obesity
March 13th 2024 - 17:53
The adipose tissue homeostasis relies on the interplay between several regulatory lineages, such as ILC2, Th2, Treg, eosinophils and type 2 macrophages. Among them, ILC2 are numerically the dominant source of type 2 cytokines and are considered as major regulators of adiposity. Despite the overlap in immune effector molecules and sensitivity to alarmins (TSLP, IL-33) between ILC2 and resident memory Th2 lymphocytes, the role of the adaptive axis of type-2 immunity remains unclear. Kevin Englebert and colleagues from the group of Guillaume Oldenhove show that mice deficient for CD27, a member...
