Our History

[ A family legacy dedicated to medicine ]

Suzanne Tytgat-Cheval grew up in a family deeply connected to the medical field.
Her father, Dr. Victor Cheval, was a renowned ENT specialist who cared for the Belgian royal family and leading voices of the National Opera. Her brother, a gynecologist, also contributed to the family’s tradition of medical excellence. Sensitive to health issues, Suzanne was naturally inclined to dedicate herself to a humanitarian and scientific cause.

After the passing of her husband Gaston, Suzanne — with the support of her daughter Nicole Prévot-Tytgat and her son-in-law Robert Prévot — envisioned the creation of a foundation. The project took shape under the guidance of Professor Paul Bordet (the son of Prof. Jules Bordet, recipient of the 1919 Nobel Prize in Medicine, a long-time family friend and a prominent figure in Belgian research. Paul Bordet steered the Foundation toward the fight against cancer, a pressing challenge at the time that required urgent funding to make progress.

[ A vision put into action ]

Thanks to the entrepreneurial success of Alexandre and Gaston Tytgat, Robert Prévot ensured the Foundation’s financial management, while Professor Paul Bordet established partnerships with Belgian medical faculties. Together, they had the joy of rewarding the first laureates, thereby strengthening the visibility and impact of Belgian medical research.

Suzanne, who devoted her life to helping others, was also a benefactor of the Little Sisters of the Poor. True to her values of generosity and service, she even wished to donate her body to medical science — a wish she was unable to fulfill due to the religious restrictions of her time.

[ A family commitment across generations ]

After the death of Robert Prévot, the management of the Foundation was taken over by his children — Jean, Monique and Claudine Prévot.

Today, three of their grandchildren — Olivier Prévot, Cédric Van Cauwenberghe, and Thomas Donck — continue this legacy with enthusiasm and ambition. Building on the strong foundations laid by their ancestors, they are committed to advancing the Foundation’s mission and supporting innovative cancer research to meet today’s challenges.

Eponyms

Alexandre Tytgat

(1852–1931)

Alexandre Tytgat, a Bruges-born entrepreneur, settled in Brussels in the 1870s.

Gaston Tytgat

(1885-1971)

Gaston Tytgat, son of Alexandre Tytgat, continued the tradition by taking over and successfully expanding the family business.

Founders

Suzanne Tytgat-Cheval

(1895-1979)

Suzanne Cheval, daughter of Dr. Victor Cheval and wife of Gaston Tytgat, honored the family legacy through the founding of the Alexandre and Gaston Tytgat Foundation.

Robert Prévot

(1898-1994)

Robert Prévot, husband of Nicole Tytgat, President of the Alexandre and Gaston Tytgat Foundation (from 1973 to 1988).

Nicole Prévot-Tytgat

(1914-2003)

Nicole Prévot-Tytgat, daughter of Gaston Tytgat and Suzanne Tytgat-Cheval (founder of the Alexandre and Gaston Tytgat Foundation).

Mentors

Paul Bordet

(1906-1987)

Doctor of Medicine, Physician, and Professor of Immunology and Bacteriology at the Université libre de Bruxelles; son of Professor Jules Bordet, laureate of the 1919 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.He directed the Pasteur Institute of Brabant, became professor in 1956, and was elected to the French Academy of Medicine. In 1970, he presided over the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium

Victor Cheval

(1858–1945)

Doctor of Medicine – Full Member (1921) and President (1940) of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium. Surgeon at the hospitals, then Head of the Otology and Laryngology Clinic of Brussels. He authored numerous scientific works.

Max Cheval

(1886–1977)

Doctor of Medicine – Foreign Correspondent of the French National Academy of Medicine, Division of Surgery, in 1952. Max Cheval is the son of Victor Cheval. He published numerous works on the physiology, pathology and therapeutics of the female reproductive system.