BelTox sponsored 4 awards at Belgian Conference in Ecotoxicology (BCE – https://sites.google.com/view/bce-2026/accueil).
The conference was held on the University of Mons (UMons) campus, from Wednesday 28 October to Friday 30 October 2026. These awards were designed to recognize outstanding contributions from the next generation of scientists.
Award Categories:
• Best Oral Presentation (1 Master’s student, 1 PhD student)
• Best Poster Presentation (1 Master’s student, 1 PhD student).
Evaluation Criteria: The jury will evaluate presentations based on three core pillars:
1. Scientific Content: We look for sound methodology, original research that is recontextualized for accessibility, and a clear “take-home message” for the audience.
2. Visual Content: Presentations should be legible and aesthetically balanced, featuring high-quality figures and a logical flow that guides the viewer through the research.
3. Delivery: We value clarity, engagement with the audience, strict adherence to timing, and the ability to provide effective, insightful responses during the Q&A.
François Huaux presented BelTox and handed over the Awards at the Belgian Conference for Ecotoxicology.
It was a tie for the oral presentation of the master students. Therefor the price was split. So we have 2 winners who each get 50 euros.
The winners are:
Best Presentation -PhD
Hanne Diels (UAntwerp) : Plastic pellet pollution across the Scheldt estuary: from the loss of pristine pellets to their environmentally degraded forms
Best presentation – master 1:
Louise Bezborodko (UMons): Assessing the impact of pesticides on the development of wild bee colonies
Best presentation – master 2:
Mélusine Hurel (UMons): Effects of chronic exposure to pesticides on the circadian rhythm and sleep of bees
Best poster – PhD:
Adélie Destercke (Laboratoire EDYSAN): Bats as sentinels of pesticide and trace metal contamination in agroecosystems
Best poster – master:
Basile Vandendyck (UMons): The perfect storm: How exposure to multiple stressors could modulate the effects of pesticides on bees?