{
    "title": "VUB launches chair with Alex Agnew",
    "modified_at": "2023-10-03 15:03:17",
    "published_at": "2023-10-03 14:56:00",
    "url": "https://press.vub.ac.be/vub-launches-chair-with-alex-agnew",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/UR7c",
    "culture": "en",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "Comedian raises \u20ac100,000 to support cancer research at Vrije Universiteit Brussel ",
    "slug": "vub-launches-chair-with-alex-agnew",
    "body": "<p><strong>Tuesday 3 October 2023 &ndash; On 9 October, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is launching a new chair in the name of comedian Alex Agnew, whose theatre tour&nbsp;raised &euro;100,000 for the VUB Yamina Krossa Fund for breast cancer research. That funding will enable Prof Damya Laoui and her team to carry out fundamental research into a vaccine against relapse and metastasis over the next two years. The chair is named after Agnew in recognition of his contribution.</strong></p><p>Alex Agnew met the fund&rsquo;s founder, Yamina Krossa, and VUB-VIB professor Damya Laoui while recording his podcast&nbsp;Welcome to the AA. The subject was important to him, because the wife of his colleague Andries Beckers had suffered from breast cancer. Yamina&rsquo;s enthusiasm inspired him to do more: for every ticket sold to his Wake Me Up When It&rsquo;s Over tour, he would donate &euro;1 to the VUB Yamina Krossa Fund. Eighteen months later, he&rsquo;s raised &euro;100,000 for cancer research.</p><blockquote> &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been very lucky in my life. So it was time to give something back,&rdquo; says Agnew. &ldquo;Damya and Yamina are two great women who I&rsquo;m happy to support in their dream of eliminating breast cancer.&rdquo;</blockquote>\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                                    srcset=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/ 1x, https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/resize/2400x/-/format/auto/ 2x\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"Alex Agnew and Yamina Krossa\"\n                id=\"image-c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2\"\n                data-id=\"c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/inline/no/vm_agnew_krossa_1018806-1.jpg\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"Alex Agnew and Yamina Krossa\"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\">Alex Agnew and Yamina Krossa</figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<hr /><p><strong>Programme of presentation of Alex Agnew chair x Yamina Krossa Fund for breast cancer research, Monday 9 October 2023</strong></p><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span>16.30: Welcome</span></li><li><span>17.00: Start of programme</span></li><li><span>17.05: Video message from the rector</span></li><li><span>17.10: Speech by vice-rector Innovation &amp; Valorisation Hugo Thienpont</span></li><li><span>17.15: Interview with founder Yamina Krossa and patron Alex Agnew</span></li><li><span>17.35: Presentation of cancer research by Prof Damya Laoui and researcher Elly Marcq</span></li><li><span>17.55: Q&amp;A</span></li><li><span>18.05: Ceremonial signing of the chair</span></li><li><span>18.10: Reception</span></li></ul><hr /><p><strong>Location</strong></p><p>VUB Main Campus Etterbeek<br>\u200bU-Residence<br>\u200bEntrance 9, Generaal Jacqueslaan, 1050 Elsene</p><hr /><p><strong>Would you like to attend or arrange an interview?</strong></p><p>Tours of the lab on the VUB campus, reportage and live interviews with Yamina Krossa and Damya Laoui are possible on 6 October. To organise these, please contact Damya Laoui or Yamina Krossa.</p><p>Interviews with Yamina Krossa, Damya Laoui and Alex Agnew are possible on 9 October between 15.00 and 16.30. To organise, please contact spokesperson Nathalie Vlaemynck (<a href=\"mailto:nathalie.vlaemynck@vub.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nathalie.vlaemynck@vub.be</a>).</p><hr /><p><strong>About the VUB Foundation</strong></p><p>The VUB Foundation manages the Yamina Krossa Fund and raises philanthropic funds from businesses, organisations, institutions and individuals. It does so in the framework of the TechTransfer service of the vice-rectorate for Innovation and Valorisation. The foundation&rsquo;s policy is based on the belief that every philanthropic gift creates a social return. Everyone&rsquo;s contribution supports education, research, innovation or the VUB estate, with the resulting knowledge and insights flowing back into society.</p><p><strong>More information</strong></p><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span><a href=\"https://www.vub.be/en/support-vub/support-vub-through-gift/yamina-krossa-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yamina Krossa Fund</a></span></li><li><span><a href=\"https://www.vub.be/en/support-vub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VUB Foundation</a></span></li><li><span>Yamina Krossa: +32 485 04 29 78</span></li><li><span>Damya Laoui: +32 485 61 24 75</span></li><li><span>Elisabeth Rabaey, head of VUB Foundation:&nbsp;+32 492 55 21 23</span></li></ul><div class=\"release-content-contact\" id=\"contact-84409603-d68e-4141-860e-46a6dc20ba9e\">\n    <div class=\"release-content-contact__avatar\"><img src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/03e8b28c-9d30-467d-b943-a08d956bc16b/-/crop/3590x3591/898,0/-/preview/-/scale_crop/128x128/center/-/format/auto/\" alt=\"Nathalie Vlaemynck\" class=\"release-content-contact__avatar-image\" /></div>\n    <div class=\"release-content-contact__details\">\n        <strong class=\"release-content-contact__name\">Nathalie Vlaemynck</strong>\n        <em class=\"release-content-contact__description\">Woordvoerder en algemeen perscontact (beschikbaar op maandag, dinsdag en woensdagvoormiddag)</em>\n        <ul class=\"release-content-contact__details-list\"><li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"mailto:nathalie.vlaemynck@vub.be\"  class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"nathalie.vlaemynck@vub.be\"><svg class=\"icon icon-paper-plane release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-paper-plane\"></use>\n            </svg>nathalie.vlaemynck@vub.be</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"tel:+32 479 87 23 26\"  class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"+32 479 87 23 26\"><svg class=\"icon icon-mobile release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-mobile\"></use>\n            </svg>+32 479 87 23 26</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"https://www.vub.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"vub.be\"><svg class=\"icon icon-browser release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-browser\"></use>\n            </svg>vub.be</a></li></ul>\n    </div>\n</div>",
    "mainvisual": {
        "thumbnail": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/scale_crop/250x250/center/-/format/auto/",
        "large": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/preview/500x500/-/format/auto/",
        "original": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/"
    },
    "header": {
        "large": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/2372efa8-e514-4f58-916a-df71446b8db3/-/format/auto/",
        "release": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/2372efa8-e514-4f58-916a-df71446b8db3/-/format/auto/"
    },
    "images": [
        {
            "caption": "Alex Agnew and Yamina Krossa",
            "original": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/",
            "medium": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/preview/500x500/-/format/auto/",
            "small": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/preview/200x200/-/format/auto/",
            "thumbnail": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/preview/100x100/-/format/auto/",
            "square": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/scale_crop/200x200/center/-/format/auto/",
            "squaresmall": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c66e6d57-f681-4fa0-a58b-a7f7fadebce2/-/scale_crop/58x58/center/-/format/auto/"
        }
    ],
    "contacts": [
        {
            "name": "Nathalie Vlaemynck",
            "company": null,
            "description": "Woordvoerder en algemeen perscontact (beschikbaar op maandag, dinsdag en woensdagvoormiddag)",
            "email": "nathalie.vlaemynck@vub.be",
            "website": "https://www.vub.be",
            "address": null,
            "telephone": null,
            "mobile": "+32 479 87 23 26",
            "twitter": null,
            "facebook": null
        }
    ],
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Nathalie",
        "last_name": "Vlaemynck"
    },
    "format_version": 5
}