research 12 research 13 Roadmap. In light of the above, we spelled out a series of specific goals (2017-2021 Roadmap) that included the following: (i) redefine membership (core and associate PIs) to promote excellence yet create an effective collaborative community, (ii) create research professorships to improve conditions for local PIs and more effectively recruit internationally, (iii) update, consolidate, and streamline the operation of core facilities (considered by most PIs as being GIGA’s most valuable asset) and administrative support, (iv) assist PIs in designing, writing, submitting and managing better grants, with special emphasis on ERC grants, (v) create an internationally acclaimed research graduate program and school to improve the recruitment, education, and support of PhD students (and post-docs), (vi) enhance GIGA’s collaborative potential and attractiveness by establishing large population-based cohorts in collaboration with the CHU and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. This roadmap largely guided our actions throughout our term. Achievements. With regards to core facilities and administration, the main “additions” have been the creation of a bioinformatics platform, the reinforcement of CRISPR-Cas9 services in the viral vector platform (now referred to as gene-editing platform), the recruitment of staff to support cell culture and shared facilities, the stabilization – since 2016 - of five staff members who obtained permanent positions at the university (testifying of the steady support from the university; sincere appreciation to the authorities for this), and the development of a series of custom software applications to streamline the management of platforms and administration. Several software applications were also developed for PIs and made accessible through the “Page Perso”, which we invite interested GIGA members to use. We further set up GIGA grants, initially with the financial support of the Walloon region (Go-get-ERC project), and hired Marilou Ramos Pamplona to assist internal and external PIs in preparing ERC applications. This included to organization of Go-getERC “brainstorming” seminars which were fun and should be restarted. We also set up the GIGA doctoral school for which we hired Marianna Bevova as director. In the 20182022 period, GIGA’s doctoral school hired 18 PhD students “centrally”, originating from nine countries. All of them obtained a PhD fellowship from outside sources from the second year on of which 13 a FNRS aspirant mandate. More than seventy tutors taught courses to 300 PhD students over these five years. Taking advantage of the latest round of FEDER funding, we set up the ENSEMBLE project that is aimed to federate the local medical community around a joint cohort project towards the implementation of precision medicine. Animal cohorts (Resistomics) have also been assembled collaboratively by PIs from GIGA and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The creation of research professorships didn’t succeed as hoped for, as funding for the Back-on-the-Map project collapsed after the 2017 Walloon government crisis. Yet, under the leadership of then vice-rector of research Professor Fabrice Bureau, the university picked-up at least part of the ideas by returning ERC overheads in full to PIs and their research units. During our term, all thematic units have been evaluated twice by their respective scientific advisory boards (SABs), the support units have been evaluated once by a local administration advisory board (AAB), and the Board of Counselors (BoC) has met at GIGA twice. The BoC was supposed to meet annually. COVID has been standing in the way, and I have not been proactive enough. This is a regrettable and I apologize for it. Periodically presenting an overview of one’s achievements to respected peers through this advisory boards is an extremely salutary routine. What are you most proud of? I don’t think that personal pride would be an appropriate feeling here. The merit for what GIGA stands for goes to its community. But there are certainly some considerations that are a source of satisfaction. GIGA is a good place to be a scientist. The first is that I like to believe that GIGA members feel, as I do, that they are part of a community. We are happy, maybe even proud, to be members of GIGA. We are happy to have the privilege to be health scientists that may, one day, improve the care of patients. We strive to be the best scientist we can be, to use the resources that are entrusted to us as good as we can. We quietly know that GIGA is recognized as a center of excellence at least nationally, and to some extent even internationally. GIGA spirit in the time of COVID. The GIGA spirit manifested itself in remarkable ways during the COVID crisis. More than 175 young (and not so young) volunteers joined one of several task forces (sample reception and viral inactivation, PCR testing, biobanking, development of new tests, immune plasma characterization, etc.) for weeks if not months, just because they wanted to help. It was really uplifting and heartwarming to witness. I remain very grateful to all of them, yes, proud of all of them. GIGA ERC grants. Another source of satisfaction is the number of ERC grants obtained by GIGA. Altogether GIGA PIs have been awarded 10 ERC grants including synergy, advanced, consolidator, starting and proof-of-concept grants (of which seven since 2016). This corresponds to 38% of all ULiège ERC grants, and is probably the highest concentration of ERCs in one research unit in all French-speaking Belgium. The proportion of GIGA research funding from Europe now approaches 15%. It proves that top medical research is being conducted at GIGA and is a great signal for its future. It encourages and helps others to try as well. I like to believe (with no prove) that this is, at least in part, due to GIGA grants. Of note, two GIGA PIs have now obtained two ERC grants, and one even three! Congratulations to them for these exceptional achievements. Other. On a somewhat humoristic note (I do what I can), there is maybe one thing that I would like to take credit for: the GIGA terrace on the 5th floor with its exceptional view of the Ourthe valley. It is great to see young people gather there for lunch or to celebrate one or another occasion!
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