16 November 2021
2 min read
Changing department names
New names that convey our expertise and strategy
The Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) has never been better positioned to become a leader in patient-based research in Luxembourg and Europe. In light of its new strategy, the LIH is pleased to announce the change in name for the Department of Oncology, and for the Department of Population Health to reflect their strategic transversal, translational research programs.
The more intuitive names better reflect the activities of the departments, notably the Cancer Research and Precision Health, both focus areas within the new strategy of LIH, and help bring the LIH to the forefront of translational biomedical research at the national and international level.
From Department of Population Health to Department of Precision Health (DoPH)
In public health, epidemiology, or clinical research, the ultimate objective of precision health is to deliver the right intervention to the right person, at the right time. To achieve this, researchers can now rely, in a digital and data-driven world, on an increasing volume of data generated by populations and patients. This massively impacts the way research is conducted. Research increasingly relies on real-life data and artificial intelligence methods to better characterize populations and patients, according to their environment, their lifestyle, their biological characteristics, in order to better design tailored preventive strategies and more personalised treatments. The change of name from Department of Population Health to Department of Precision Health reflects this evolution in the research field.
From Department of Oncology to Department of Cancer Research (DoCR)
The word ‘oncology’ defines a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. The word ‘oncologist’ refers to the medical professional that practices oncology. While research at the LIH aims to develop tools and novel treatment options that will be prescribed by oncologists, most of the researchers are not ‘treating physicians’ themselves. Changing the name of the department to ‘Cancer Research’ will reflect more accurately the activity of the department and avoid confusion with the medical specialty of ‘oncology’. Under the new name, the Department of Cancer Research will continue to make game-changing discoveries in cancer treatment and detection, ultimately aiming to provide a cure for all cancer types.
The new department names have been officially rolled out on 1st January 2022.