Dendritic cells control most aspects of the immune response and can be manipulated to induce protective immune responses or to dampen disease causing immune responses to allergens or self antigens. Bart Lambrecht and his research team at the University of Ghent exploit the function of dendritic cells to achieve a better understanding of the pathogenesis of allergic sensitization and to develop new strategies of immunointervention to prevent or cure allergic disorders.  The importance of Bart Lambrecht's contributions was recently recognized by the Inbev-Baillet-Latour Foundation which designed him as the 2008 laureate for its Clinical Research Price.