Inauguration of the European Plotkin Institute for Vaccinology
This new 3,600 m2 building now houses immunology and microbiology research teams from ULB's Faculty of Medicine, whose aim is to better combat infectious diseases in Belgium and worldwide and takes part in international efforts to prepare for future pandemics.
The European Plotkin Institute for Vaccinology (EPIV) has campuses in Brussels and Antwerp and is an initiative of the two universities. The aim is to accelerate the evaluation and development of vaccine candidates. The institute combines clinical, immunological and microbiological research.
A brand new 3,600 m2 building has just been completed on the Université libre de Bruxelles site, housing state-of-the-art laboratories for the safe handling of dangerous pathogens as part of a decidedly multidisciplinary approach. The new building is located on ULB's Anderlecht campus, which is also the main site of Brussels University Hospital (HUB).
The EPIV has a clinical research capability that enables the application of basic research discoveries to benefit patients. More than 50 researchers are working in these new laboratories, studying the relationships between pathogens and humans, discovering new ways to prevent and treat infections and putting in place the tools to fight future pandemics.
Note: Stanley Plotkin was born in the USA in 1932 and has become one of the world's leading experts in vaccinology. He played a key role in the discovery of vaccines against rubella, rabies, rotavirus, polio, chickenpox and cytomegalovirus.