Breast Engineering Fund
Is it possible to provide women who have just had an amputation with a completely new and perfect breast? Without the physical scars, with a shorter waiting time, and with less psychological and emotional impact on the women themselves? Two sci-fi films from the nineties, “Darkman” and “The Fifth Element”, showed skin and body parts being made with a 3D printer. But this might also become possible outside the cinema, in laboratories such as those at Ghent University. Not today or tomorrow, but perhaps in the near future. That is the mission of Professor Phillip Blondeel and his colleagues.
Want to make a donation to the Breast Engineering Fund?
Your donation to the Breast Engineering Fund will go towards top level research that can lead to more effective treatments. For example, the research group has been able to invest in new incubators and "Laminar Air Flow cabinets". The total cost for this was €25,000.
We gratefully welcome donations to the Breast Engineering Fund - donations can be made via bank transfer to the account number BE26 3900 9658 0329, including the message “Fonds Breast Engineering".
“Apart from regional, national and sometimes European funding, we are highly dependent on private sponsors for their indispensable financial support so we can keep moving forward with our research. I want to thank our donors explicitly for their support in recent years. They make our research possible.”
– Prof. Phillip Blondeel
More information about the fund?
Background information
The Breast Engineering fund was established in 2016 by Professor Phillip Blondeel, so that research into breast reconstruction could be supported by donations. Donations to the fund also indirectly help improve the well-being and emotional health of women affected by ablative surgery after breast cancer.
Aim
The aim of the “Breast Engineering Fund” is to provide financial support for research into breast reconstruction, including the following areas, amongst others:
- autologous tissue transplant techniques;
- application of foreign bodies and aids;
- allotransplantation;
- tissue engineering, including in vivo and invitro studies related to the creation of three-dimensional living structures to replace (a part of) the breast;
- all of the new, as yet undescribed techniques that can help or remedy in the context of breast reconstruction
- studies into the biocompatibility and (oncological) safety of the techniques described above.
Want to find out more about the research?
Project researcher(s), department(s) and faculty(or faculties)
- Prof. Phillip Blondeel
- Department of Human Structure and Repair
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
NEWS
What else can I do?
- Leave a gift to one of the funds in your will.
- Organise a fundraiser or event to support of the funds
- Want to set up your own fund?
Contact us
Do you have questions about this or any of the other Ghent University funds?
Please get in touch and we will be happy to assist you.
University Fund of Ghent University
Wim Van der Planken
universiteitsfonds@ugent.be
+32 9 264 33 84