Half a million for cardiovascular anomalies research

The first Generet Award, which was launched this year, has gone to Professor Miikka Vikkula (de Duve Institute - UCLouvain) for his research seeking a genetic explanation for vascular anomalies. Prof. Vikkula collected his prize on 6 December 2018 at a ceremony attended by, among others, HRH Princess Astrid and Belgian Federal Minister of Public Health Dr Maggie De Block. The annual Generet Award aims to boost research into rare diseases in Belgium and consolidate our country's reputation as a centre of expertise. Each year, a leading scientist will walk off with this prize worth €500,000, an amount that may even be doubled subject to significant progress being made in the research. The Generet Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, is committed to giving research into rare diseases a shot in the arm and making Belgium an international centre of expertise on rare diseases. To this end, for the next 20 years the Fund has decided to award an annual scientific prize worth €500,000 - a sum that may even be doubled following a excellent interim report. This immediately makes the Generet Award one of Belgium's leading biomedical research prizes.