Recognition for outstanding work in vaccinology and immunology
On Saturday, September 27, VUB professor Damya Laoui received the 2025 GSK Vaccines Prize during the annual formal session of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium. The prize recognizes her research into innovative immunotherapies for cancer, particularly her work on dendritic cells.
The GSK Vaccines Prize recognizes scientific merit as well as societal relevance. The laureates are nominated based on their contribution to medical progress in Belgium and beyond. Specifically, the prize is awarded annually to one Dutch-speaking and one French-speaking researcher who has distinguished themselves in the field of vaccinology or immunology.
Professor Laoui is affiliated with the Brussels Center for Immunology at the VUB and the VIB Center for Inflammation Research . Her research focuses on the role of specific immune cells, dendritic cells, in combating tumor metastasis. She investigates how these cells can be used in personalized cancer vaccines.
Her work has already earned several awards in recent years, including the MIT Innovators Under 35, Commander of the Order of the Crown, and the Prix Dunia. However, the 2025 GSK Vaccines Prize is more than just a small award. “This prize is recognition for the entire team working to make immunotherapy tangible,” says Laoui.
Inclusive science
Besides being a researcher, Laoui is also active as a mentor and STEM ambassador. She advocates for greater inclusion in science and focuses on supporting young researchers, especially those who don’t automatically have access to academic research. “We don’t conduct this research to study cells in tubes, but to offer patients perspectives. Every step forward in the lab must ultimately have meaning for people outside the lab.”
