معرفی
Valérie Cappuyns is a Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) of KU Leuven, serving as Head of Subdivision 36 at the Brussels Campus. She leads the CEDON Research Group and is a member of SIM² - KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals. Her governance roles include membership in the FEB Council, POC Milieu- en preventiemanagement FEB, and Campus Council FEB Brussels.
Her research centers on Environmental Geochemistry, specializing in heavy metal contaminated soils/sediments and sustainable site remediation. She investigates radionuclide mobility in geothermal systems, mining waste valorization, and the application of the Community Capitals Framework for socially inclusive remediation of NORM/TENORM sites. Her work bridges environmental science with circular economy principles for resource recovery.
Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a dual focus: developing community-centered frameworks for radioactive site remediation (notably Italian case studies) and advancing metallurgical processes for metal recovery from industrial byproducts. This includes analyzing copper slag leaching, lithium deposit risks, and geothermal lead mitigation, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to environmental challenges.
Dr. Cappuyns supervises PhD student Panzarella, F. on sustainable remediation frameworks and leads multiple funded projects through 2026, including critical metal extraction from lithium projects and slag environmental assessment. Her research integrates laboratory analysis with social science methodologies.
Based at CEDON Research Group in Brussels with secondary affiliation to Leuven's Geology department, she collaborates through SIM² to develop practical solutions for contaminated site management and mining waste valorization within circular economy models.
