Hasselt University is a young, independent and innovative university which is regionally anchored and has a pronounced regional, national and international orientation. Academic and scientific freedom, social engagement and attention for ethical standards are the basic principles of Hasselt University’s research and education policy. In the European Commission’s U-Multirank, is ranked in the top ten universities worldwide. The Environmental Epidemiology research domain within the Centre of Environmental Sciences at Hasselt University is embedded in a multidisciplinary national and international network.  

In UPRISE, the Environmental Epidemiology team of Hasselt University will lead the WP7-9. By making use of the largest mother-child prospective cohort in Belgium, ENVIRONAGE, including more than 2500 mother-child dyads, WP7-9 aims to set up a cohort study across different European countries to better understand how exposure to MNP and UFP are related to mechanisms underlying preterm birth.