Soapbox Science Brussels 2025

Else Magnus is a researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where she studies some of the most powerful explosions in the Universe: the death of massive stars or the collisions of two stars. What can we learn from these cosmic events by studying the signals they send to Earth? That is the mystery she is trying to solve. She loves diving into the wonders of the Universe, and in her free time, she enjoys a good cup of coffee, a bit of sunshine, a sweaty run or a great book. (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram).

Passionate about the intersection of diet and human health, Elien Alderweireldt delves into the (sub)toxic effects of dietary compounds on human cells. With a master’s in Bioscience Engineering from Ghent University and a PhD exploring the impact of red/processed meat on colorectal cancer cells, she now aims at increasing our understanding on the impact of micro-and nanoplastics on our body. Using advanced cell models and cutting-edge technology, she wants to contribute to food safety and human health. (LinkedIn, Instagram)

Driven by insatiable curiosity, Emilie Duthoo has always asked questions about the world around her,leading me naturally to study biology. During her master’s thesis, she went to McGill University in Canada, where she discovered a passion for marine adhesion research. Back in Belgium, she decided to dive deeper into this subject through a PhD. Now holding a PhD, she enjoys sharing her passion with others. (LinkedIn)

Emilie Despontin is doing her PhD in theoretical and mathematical physics at ULB. Since childhood, she has been fascinated by physics and the universe. Her passion lies in understanding and explaining the enigmatic nature of black holes. Beyond research, she believes that science should not be confined to academia but shared with the world, inspiring curiosity and wonder. She gives workshops at the Université des Enfants (UDE), sharing her passion for science to younger generations, encouraging them to explore the mysteries of the universe. She is also part of the Science & Cocktails Brussels team that brings science and music closer together, through evenings mixing lectures intertwined with music and crazy cocktails. (Instagram)

Nora Colson is PhD researcher at Hasselt University, exploring how to produce hydrogen fuel during deep space missions—using an unusual duo: diamonds and cyanobacteria! Her work sits at the intersection of cutting-edge materials and space sustainability, all in the quest to power the future beyond Earth. Besides her daytime work as a researcher, she also loves to bake! She considers herself a researcher by training but a baker by passion.

Vendula Smolíková performed her PhD jointly between Mendel University in Brno (CZ) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE), focusing on the challenges of environmental contamination by trace elements. In her work, she combines various approaches to identify pollution sources, improve water quality monitoring, and assess the potential bioavailability of toxic contaminants to organisms. Her current post-doctoral research at the VUB aims to develop and apply methods for improved evaluation of the environmental impact related to mining activities. Therefore, besides working in the lab, you can often find her performing fieldwork all around the world. (LinkedIn)

Ir. Hiva Houshyar is a PhD researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussels, where she leads innovative projects to enhance accessibility for wheelchair users through sensor-based solutions. She holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, an MBA in Organizational Behavior, and a BS in Biomedical Engineering. Her professional background includes roles as a secondary school mathematics and science teacher, dental equipment engineer, and laboratory technician. Ir. Houshyar has contributed to research on stroke recovery and during an engineering internship at a rehabilitation center in Belgium, which provided practical experience in physiotherapy and medical equipment. Additionally, her volunteer work with children in need highlights her ongoing commitment to community support. (LinkedIn)

Sasha Viktorova is a postdoctoral researcher in pure mathematics at KU Leuven. She works in the field of algebraic geometry and singularity theory. She earned her PhD from Stony Brook University, where she studied singularities of three-dimensional shapes in four-dimensional space. She enjoys teaching, discussing mathematics and exploring new ideas together with other mathematicians.

Ever wake up feeling like you wrestled a bear in your sleep? Lucile Gely is trying to figure out why! As a PhD candidate, she researches how the neurology of our mouth and throat plays a role in sleep apnea. She’s exploring how exercises can retrain the brain’s connection to those muscles and improve our sleep, one tongue exercise at a time! Get ready to discover the surprising power of your mouth-brain connection and transform the wrestly bear into a cuddly teddy! (LinkedIn)

Florine Janssens is a Medical doctor specializing in internal medicine & pursuing a PhD in nephrology (aka kidney science) at UZ Brussel. She is passionate about bridging clinical care and research. Florine Janssens is studying immune activation in dialysis, shifting focus from patients to the machine: what if we tweak treatment instead of adding more meds? (LinkedIn)

Crystal D’Silva is a Preclinical subject matter expert and based in Brussels, Belgium. She holds a PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto (Canada) and is a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT). Crystal is a member of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro and the Belgian Society of Toxicology and Ecotoxicology. Outside of work, she is an avid hot yoga practitioner and dancer. Her passions include travel, education, and empowering others through her scientific and creative pursuits. (LinkedIn)

Neeltje Schilling started studying Life Sciences when she was 15 years old at the University of Potsdam in Germany. During her studies, she worked for 7 years in the Botanical Garden in Potsdam, where she found her passion for Plant Sciences. For her Bachelor Thesis she spent a total of 8 months in Gent, where she participated in the Programmed Cell Death in Plants. After finishing her Masters at the University of Potsdam in Molecular Biology, she moved to Gent to start her PhD where she will pursue her biggest passion, which is microscopy of living plant cells (Instagram)