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The initiative paves the way for new collaborative PhD programmes to extend ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûand KU Leuven’s existing research collaborations, in areas such as fetal medicine and neurodegeneration. A first programme in women’s health will build on many years of co-operation between clinical and academic teams at ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûEGA Institute for Women’s Health, ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and KU Leuven.

The framework launch took place on 16 May 2024 at KU Leuven, and marked the successful culmination of years of planning and shared commitments to enhancing our joint research, education and clinical work.

The ceremony was attended by Professor Geraint Rees (ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûVice-Provost Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), Professor Anna David (Professor in Obstetric and Maternal Fetal Medicine, Director of the Elizabeth Garrett Institute for Women’s Health, Honorary Professor of Fetal Medicine, KU Leuven), Dr Uta Staiger (Global Strategic Academic Advisor for Europe, Director of ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûEuropean Institute) and Professor Luc Sels (Rector and President of KU Leuven).

Professor Anna David highlighted the shared commitment of ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûand KU Leuven to advancing medical science and health education. She said: "Today represents not just the culmination of a longstanding collaboration but also the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our partnership with KU Leuven. With this framework now in place, we can now swiftly finalise our plans for a PhD in women’s health, a testament to our deep-rooted commitment to advancing medical science and health education shared with KU Leuven."

The first double PhD programme is expected to launch later in 2024 and will be led by UCL's Institute for Women's Health and the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. Shaped by joint supervision, training and development plans, the programme will offer future candidates access to two distinctive, but complementary research environments and pedagogical traditions. Doctoral candidates will gain first-hand experience of working across borders, developing their cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Professor Jan Deprest, Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at both KU Leuven and UCL, added: "We have launched multiple translational and clinical research projects to boost fetal diagnosis and therapy, guided by joint professors of our two institutions. Once fully up and running, the new agreement will put both research teams at the forefront of innovation in fetal medicine, inspiring young researchers and in the future, helping pregnant women and their children."

More generally, the new framework is expected to help sustain existing, and foster new research collaboration between academic departments at each institution. It has been developed over the past five years by ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûGlobal Engagement in conjunction with the Doctoral School, the Academic Policy and Quality Assurance office and colleagues at KU Leuven.

ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûand KU Leuven share a strong history of collaboration in women’s health, for example a project between UCL’s Institute for Women’s Health and KU Leuven University Hospitals that led to the successful birth of a baby after in-womb spina bifida surgery in April 2019. Researchers from ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûas well as NHS clinicians from University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) joined forces with KU Leuven University Hospitals to carry out the first operation of its kind in the UK.

The partnership between ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûand KU Leuven has already produced more than 1,600 co-authored research publications and collaboration on multiple EU-funded projects, demonstrating the solid academic and strategic bonds between the two institutions. Plans are also in place to expand the collaboration further, with a second double PhD programme in Neuroscience anticipated to follow soon.

The launch of this programme aligns with UCL's Grand Challenges initiative, which tackles significant global issues such as the Climate Crisis and Mental Health and Wellbeing. It reaffirms UCL's strategic commitment to enhancing its cooperative relationships and continuing its legacy of impactful research with KU Leuven.

Links

• ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûEGA Institute for Women's Health
• ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
• ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûFaculty of Population Health Sciences
• ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûand Europe

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Professor Geraint Rees, Dr Uta Staiger and Professor Anna David with Global Engagement and KU Leuven colleagues at the framework launch in Belgium.