Videos

"VKF", "ablation"... Do you always understand what is written in your medical report? Researcher Kathleen Van Royen explains how she is working on a solution with the help of AI: an application that automatically translates your medical report into clear, understandable language.

Ever wondered how you can focus on a conversation with your friend while sitting in a noisy restaurant?

This is thanks to the filtering system in your brain—and a specific protein, the glycine receptor—which helps remove redundant signals. But when this system isn’t working properly, it may contribute to conditions like autism and psychosis. Yana Vella studies this receptor in an ingenious way to better understand how this filtering works and to improve future treatments.

The year is 2040. A drone just landed on your doorstep, delivering your favorite pizza, which you just ordered a few minutes ago. 🍕 😋 What a time to be alive right?! To make this scenario a reality, Adnan Albaba (Imec - VUB) is working on radar technology to make self-navigating drones.

"Several people with visual impairments use screen readers, which means that if an app or a website is not built with accessibility in mind, some information may not be noticeable to them at all."
Through her research, Olga Gkotsopoulou (VUB) wants to raise awareness and help organizations make information about our personal data accessible to the widest audience possible. 

A personal data breach is not to be taken lightly: it can lead to depression, divorce, and even death. Seems far-fetched? Not really, as the data breach of a Canadian adultery website showed in 2015. Lina Jasmontaite (VUB) researches how companies (should) handle data breaches in Europe, since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

How would you feel if you were always labeled as "non-Dutch-speaking", even though you often use Dutch throughout the day? Graziela Dekeyser (KU Leuven) is doing research on emotions in multilingualism.

"Muy exclusivo: las fotos del horror" is written on the cover of this Argentine newspaper. That headline refers to the photos of the dead body of a young woman that the journalists shamelessly published. "Fortunately, there are also writers in Latin America who describe gender violence in a more ethical way, in so-called chronicles", says Eva Van Hoey (UGent). She investigates how gender violence is represented in the literary genre of the chronicle.

Slim top models and muscled hunks are increasingly making way for realistic models in advertising campaigns. A good evolution, although it is not clear whether these campaigns actually result in a more positive body image. Orpha de Lenne studies realistic advertisements to find out how they can really make us feel better about our body. 

A smart speaker can make our lives easier by acting as our home assistant and helping us manage our daily tasks. But what about our privacy? Can we trust these devices with our family arguments over money spending? By designing technologies and workflows, engineer Rafa Gálvez wants to help companies develop smart devices that respect our privacy. 

How do we bring relevant news to young people, who are often not in the habit of reading a newspaper or scrolling through a news app? Kristin Van Damme researches this for and with young people. What to think of a news alarm clock or could Spotify make a career as a newsreader?

We have all seen or sent GIFs, with or without a cat in the leading role. GIFs are also popping up more and more in advertising. Lana Mulier (Ghent University) investigates whether such GIF marketing is effective. Does it prompt us to make impulse buys online?