Units

Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis

Education - Our LABO teaches anatomy to students of various programs, including medicine, dental sciences, veterinary sciences, physical therapy, occupational therapy, bioengineering, sports, nursing, pharmacy, medical biology and arts. Moreover, LABO members also teach human embryology. Research - The LABO is active in several fields thanks to its multidisciplinary staff and expertise: Biomechanics, Anatomy, Organogenesis, Embryology, Veterinary Sciences and Legal Medicine. State-of-the-art equipment is available. Clinics - The Center for Functional Evaluation (or CFE) organised by LABO offers patients, and their therapists, all services for following-up of locomotor and gesture disabilities linked to a variety of disorders (orthopeadics, neurology, etc). Clinical research is also performed at LABO. Logistics - The LABO is taking part in the organisation of various structures and international scientific events.

Projetcs

Museum of Anatomy and Embryology Louis Deroubaix

The enhancement of the historical collections of the Musée d'Anatomie et Embryologie Louis Deroubaix and the reflection on the teaching of morphology have a triple interest: didactic, historical and museological. S. Louryan's interest in the history of medicine (and of our faculty in particular) has also led to a number of research projects.

Embryology and Teratology, Craniofacial Anatomy and Louis Deroubaix Anatomy and Embryology Museum

Embryology and teratology: craniofacial anatomy 
This sector carries out work on normal facial development and abnormalities. In line with the non-partitioned nature of our various activities, this sector, which makes extensive use of data from microscopic morphology, has benefited from innovations of a quantitative nature introduced thanks to the experience acquired in the biomechanics and modeling sector. 

Embryology: avian pseudotooths and denticles:
Given that dental regression is at the edge of the transition between dinosaurs and birds, this work involves histological and histochemical studies of the development of avian pseudotooths and denticles. Our interest in dental structures stems from our participation in the dental section courses. Several developmental genes are analyzed (SHH, MSX1, BMP4, beta-catenin, PITX2).   These pseudo-tooths should be considered essentially as tactile organs. Current work focuses on the corneal papillae of the tongue of certain birds (notably the goose), which appear as true pseudo-tooths.

Identified osteological collection

Following in the footsteps of the identified osteological collections at Schoten and Châtelet (Belgium's Royal Institute of Natural Sciences), we have - albeit in a much more modest fashion - created a collection within our Forensic Medicine and Forensic Anthropology Unit, bringing together over a hundred femurs and tibias (as well as a few fibulas) from the body bequest service. These pieces have been carefully processed by this service and then labelled and catalogued in our department. 
This collection is particularly useful for studying and comparing new osteological and anthropological parameters in a recent twentieth-century population. Pathology can also be observed, and in particular certain very advanced aspects of gonarthrosis in people of advanced age, as well as osteosynthesis material (total hip and knee prostheses, fracture treatments, etc.). 
The collection can also be used by students of both medicine and physical anthropology, enabling them to carry out some extremely interesting work, given that such osteological series of known age and sex (as well as certain biometric variables such as height and weight for certain individuals) are relatively rare. A number of master's theses and scientific studies have been carried out on this recent collection, notably by students from the universities of Amsterdam and Marseille.

« HOME » Human Remains Origin(s) Multidisciplinary Evaluation

The HOME project involves a broad multidisciplinary network combining different disciplines represented by the partners, one of which is LABO with S. Louryan as ULB coordinator. The universities preserve human remains from different geographical origins, periods and contexts. The objectives of the HOME project are to evaluate, from the collections and associated archives, the historical, scientific, legal and ethical context of human remains housed by Belgian institutions, including universities. Project deliverables will include inventories of the collections and associated documents in the various institutions. The reports will also advise on how best to manage the various collections of human remains in Belgium, and propose management scenarios in response to existing and future repatriation requests.