Belgium is leading the fight against rheumatism
Scientists from Ghent have received the 'Center of Excellence' quality label for their ground-breaking research into rheumatism, an illness characterised by joint pain. This shows they are among the very best in the world.
It is now the third time that EULAR, the European League Against Rheumatism, has awarded this highly-coveted label to a team of rheumatologists from Ghent, coordinated by Professor Dirk Elewaut and consisting of a further forty scientists from UGent, UZ Gent and VIB (the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology).
Although the EULAR quality label does not elicit any financial contributions in itself, this international acknowledgement may well open doors to necessary funding in the future. It may also facilitate future collaboration with other research centres and universities.
EULAR is a non-profit organisation based in Switzerland that represents an estimated 3 million sufferers of rheumatism across all European countries, along with professional experts, scientific researchers and other care providers.
The team of rheumatologists from Ghent carries out basic experimental research along with clinical testing with the aim of developing medication. This also involves various forms of collaboration with Belgian companies such as UCB, Galapagos and Ablynx for the manufacture of medicines specifically designed to target rheumatism.