A university hospital’s duty is not only to provide care. Its tasks also include active participation in education and scientific research.    Regardless of these additional tasks, the Department must remain financially sound.

 

The clinical chemistry and radioimmunology department plays an active part in various courses. Several department members are involved in teaching and training at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel/VUB as part of the courses for doctors, pharmacists and biomedical sciences. They also contribute to the postgraduate courses in clinical biology, the English-language masters and the PhD Programme in medical and pharmaceutical research, and the doctoral training in the medical sciences. The department offers internships to clinical biologists and to laboratory technicians. The university hospital departments are also committed to actively undertaking clinical research, with a view to introducing new therapeutic and diagnostic developments in the hospital, thereby helping to improve the quality of care.

 

Several clinical biological tests have been developed for the timely diagnosis of diabetes in conjunction with the diabetes research center of the VUB (Dir. prof. dr. D. Pipeleers) and the Belgian Diabeticians (Paediatricians and Endocrinologists) united under the Belgian Diabetes Center. 

 

The clinical chemistry and radioimmunology department, in this context, acts as a reference lab for the BDR as well as for the clinical developments in Beta Cell Therapy (transplants of human insulin cells and pharmacological interventions) related to the

JDRF Center (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) for Beta Cell Therapy in Diabetes (sponsored from the US by the JDRF), in which UZ Brussel plays a prominent role. Prof. dr. D. Pipeleers is the director of this JDRF programme and is associated as a consultant with the clinical chemistry and radioimmunology department. Further information about the BDR and the JDRF Center respectively are available on www.bdronline.be and www.betacelltherapy.org. In this context, the 'Beta Cell Bank' Unit – where human insulin cells are isolated, purified and stored for later transplantation – are fully integrated with the clinical chemistry and radioimmunology department. 

 

The hormonology and tumour markers unit works closely with the centre for reproductive medicine and has established its own research programme covering the biology and preservation of human eggs (www.brusselsivf.be).