Amis de l'Institut Bordet

Amis de l'Institut Bordet — also operating as the Association Jules Bordet — is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL) dedicated to financing cancer research at the Institut Jules Bordet, the integrated oncology centre in Brussels. For more than half a century it has acted as the leading private supporter of research at the institute, channelling donations, legacies, fundraising campaigns and volunteer effort into scientific projects, cutting-edge medical equipment and grants for young researchers. The association describes itself as the first private donor of the Institut Jules Bordet, having raised close to 220 million euros over more than fifty years. Those funds have financed hundreds of research projects and dozens of innovative medical devices, contributing to major advances for cancer patients. Its action is deliberately concentrated on the Institut Jules Bordet, which it presents as Belgium's first integrated oncology centre, so that it can identify needs closely and follow the results of the work it supports. Its mission rests on three pillars: financing innovative fundamental and clinical cancer research; enabling the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment; and encouraging young researchers through scholarships such as the 'Jeunes Talents' grant and the 'Yvonne et Thomas Rucquois' grant. In 2025 it reported supporting more than 40 projects covering breast, prostate, pancreatic and many other cancers. Equipment recently financed includes the Mobetron for intraoperative radiotherapy, a dual-energy scanner and LITT (a first in Belgium). Governance is provided by a board of directors chaired by Christian Jourquin, with Ariane Cambier as Secretary General. A small permanent team handles projects, communication and administration. Since late 2022 the association has also had an international strategic scientific committee chaired by Professor Wolf-Hervé Fridman, made up of globally recognised oncology experts, whose mission is to identify very large-scale projects worthy of exceptional funding. Institut Jules Bordet figures such as Professor Martine Piccart (Scientific Director) and Professor Christos Sotiriou (Director of Research Laboratories) are associated with the scientific effort. The association raises funds through donations, organised collections, legacies and an online shop, and communicates through news and events highlighting research results — for example the NeoCheckRay breast cancer advance published in Nature Medicine, FLASH radiotherapy, radiotheranostics and single-cell breast cancer studies.

The Amis de l'Institut Bordet, which also operates under the name Association Jules Bordet, is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL) that has supported cancer research at the Institut Jules Bordet in Brussels for more than fifty years. The institute is presented by the association as Belgium's first integrated oncology centre and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in oncology. Over more than half a century, the association has become the leading private donor of the Institut Jules Bordet. According to its own account, it has raised close to 220 million euros, which have financed hundreds of research projects and dozens of innovative medical devices, enabling major advances for patients. Its strategy has been to concentrate its action on a single institution so that it can identify needs closely and follow the results of the work it funds. Its activity is organised around three pillars. The first is financing cancer research, supporting innovative projects that combine fundamental and clinical research so that scientific discoveries can be translated more quickly into care. In 2025 the association reported supporting more than 40 projects covering breast, prostate, pancreatic and many other cancers. The second pillar is enabling the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment; among the devices recently financed are the Mobetron for intraoperative radiotherapy, a dual-energy scanner and LITT, a first in Belgium. The third pillar is encouraging young researchers through initiatives such as the 'Jeunes Talents' grant and the 'Yvonne et Thomas Rucquois' grant, which support the training and innovation of scientists at the Institut Jules Bordet and abroad. Funds are allocated directly to research projects, without intermediaries. Governance is provided by a board of directors chaired by Christian Jourquin, with Ariane Cambier as Secretary General and several vice-presidents and members. A small permanent team — including a Project & Communication Manager and an Executive Assistant — runs day-to-day operations. In late 2022 the association established an international strategic scientific committee chaired by Professor Wolf-Hervé Fridman and composed of globally recognised oncology experts, whose mission is to identify very large-scale projects that could make a difference in the fight against cancer and merit exceptional funding. Institut Jules Bordet figures such as Professor Martine Piccart, Scientific Director, and Professor Christos Sotiriou, Director of Research Laboratories, are associated with the scientific effort. The association raises funds through donations, organised collections, legacies and an online shop, and it mobilises volunteers. It communicates its impact through news and events, highlighting research programmes and results such as the NeoCheckRay breast cancer advance published in Nature Medicine, FLASH radiotherapy, radiotheranostics and single-cell studies of breast cancer.

• Association founded and begins supporting cancer research at the Institut Jules Bordet (more than 50 years of activity).

• Cumulative fundraising reaches close to 220 million euros over more than half a century.

• Late 2022: establishment of an international strategic scientific committee chaired by Prof. Wolf-Hervé Fridman.

• 2025: more than 40 research projects supported, covering breast, prostate, pancreatic and other cancers.

• Recent equipment financing includes the Mobetron, a dual-energy scanner and LITT (a first in Belgium).

The leading private supporter of cancer research at the Institut Jules Bordet, channelling donations directly into research projects and equipment without intermediaries.

• Research project financing

  Grants for innovative fundamental and clinical cancer research at the Institut Jules Bordet.

• Medical equipment funding

  Financing of state-of-the-art equipment such as the Mobetron, dual-energy scanner and LITT.

• 'Jeunes Talents' grant

  Scholarship supporting the training and innovation of young scientists.

• 'Yvonne et Thomas Rucquois' grant

  Scholarship supporting researchers at the Institut Jules Bordet and abroad.

1. 1Association Jules Bordet – Soutien à la rechercheassociation-jules-bordet.be
2. 2Nos projets - Association Jules Bordetassociation-jules-bordet.be
3. 3Notre équipe - Association Jules Bordetassociation-jules-bordet.be
4. 4Notre mission - Association Jules Bordetassociation-jules-bordet.be
5. 5Amis de l'Institut Bordet - Wikidatawikidata.org