Researcher

Severien Van Keer

Research Expertise:Severien Van Keer graduated in 2014 as Master in Biomedical Sciences, major 'Infectious and Tropical Diseases' and minor 'Molecular and Cellular Biomedical Sciences'. Since July 2014, she has been working at the Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination (CEV – VAXINFECTIO). In May 2019, she successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled ‘First-void urine as a biomarker source for primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention’ (FWO Ph.D fellowship 2015-2019). This thesis was established under supervision of Prof. Pierre Van Damme, Dr. Alex Vorsters, Prof. Xaveer Van Ostade, Prof. Wiebren Tjalma, and Prof. Margareta Ieven. To date, Severien is continuing her work as FWO junior postdoctoral researcher at the University of Antwerp. This UROSCREEN (a home-based first-void Urine One-step triage option for cervical cancer SCREENing) project focuses on translational research to demonstrate the clinical accuracy of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing in first-void urine with host cell methylation marker triage.

Keywords:CERVICAL CANCER, SCREENING, HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS, ANTIBODIES, URINE, DNA, DNA METHYLATION, PREVENTION, Medicine

Disciplines:Diagnostics, Gynaecology and obstetrics, Laboratory medicine, Molecular and cell biology, Oncology

Research techniques:Set-up (e.g. protocol writing, ethical submission), coördination, and monitoring of single/multicenter observational and low-interventional clinical trials followed by (statistical) analysis of data and science communication. Techniques applied for primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention: optimization of DNA extraction and HPV DNA/mRNA analysis in first-void urine (e.g. qPCR, luminex, commercial assays), DNA methylation (e.g. qMSP), and antibody detection (e.g. luminex, ELISA).

Users of research expertise:Researchers and health care providers/clinicians who want to use first-void urine as a non-invasive self-sampling alternative for primary and secondary (cervical) cancer prevention.