“Bridging sciences for better health” is the LDRI’s motto.
The general objective of the Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI) is to develop cutting-edge research, fundamental and/or applied research, in the field of drugs. Overall research activities are developed from target identification & validation to clinical practice through hit identification/hit to lead, preclinical evaluation, pharmaceutics, clinical assays and optimization of clinical practice.
The LDRI is located on the Health Sciences Campus of the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) in Brussels. The University Hospital (Cliniques Universitaires St Luc) is located within walking distance of the Institute. Around 100 researchers presently work in the Institute.
Since its creation 7 years ago, the LDRI increased the external visibility of its research activities, and increased its autonomy to adapt the resources to research priorities and needs. Research excellence conducted at the LDRI has led to an increase both in the number and in the quality of the publications in well recognized international journals. According to the prestigious QS World University Ranking, our research activities in Pharmacy and Pharmacology are recognized in the Top 50-100 Universities over the world, UCLouvain being ranked as the first French-speaking University in Belgium, and the second at the national level after the KULeuven.
“Bridging sciences for better health” is the LDRI’s motto. The LDRI is proud of the diversity and wealth of its research despite its relatively small size, and the limited number of senior researchers who are also involved in teaching and institutional activities. The members of the LDRI join their forces to form a multidisciplinary Institute where all major aspects of the drug are covered. The research activities range from the design or identification of a new drug (and the discovery of new targets) to its optimal use through all modern means of evaluation. The approaches use in vitro (membranes and cells) and in vivo pre-clinical models (small animals). Patients-oriented research is focused on the pharmacokinetics/pharmacogenomics and clinical pharmacy.
