Projects
Measuring subjective well-being of people with severe or profound intellectual disabilities KU Leuven
Measuring and Modelling Hydrological Surface Connectivity KU Leuven
Hydrological connectivity describes the internal linkages between runoff generation in upper parts of the catchment and the receiving water. It is quantified as the ratio of the runoff reaching the catchments outlet and the total internal runoff generation. It thus effectively bridges the gap between the point-scale separation of rainfall into soil water storage and (sub-)surface runoff as opposed to what we see as response at the hillslope ...
Modulation and generation of plasma membrane cation channels by silica nanoparticles KU Leuven
Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have numerous beneficial properties and are extensively used in cosmetics and food industries as anti-caking, densifying and hydrophobic agents. However, the increasing exposure levels experienced by the general population and the ability of SiNPs to penetrate cells and tissues have raised concerns about possible toxic effects of this material. The airway epithelium is one of the most important entry routes of ...
Research on optimization of the expressive power of actors / dancers on the basis of the method of Biological Acting. University of Antwerp
Characterization and engineering of a polysaccharide mono-oxygenase involved in the degradation of (ligno) cellulosic biomass Ghent University
Lignocellulosic biomass is believed to be the most promising renewable feedstock for sustainable production of biofuels and commodity chemicals in biorefineries. While the need for sustainable systems is continuously increasing, the depolymerization of lignocellulose is impeded by its high recalcitrance. This makes the development of a cost-effective process extremely challenging. In enzymatic degradation, the classical view of synergistic ...
Risk and Protective Factors of Dyslexia: A study of auditory temporal processing and morphological awareness KU Leuven
Dyslexia is a neurological condition affecting 5-7% of the population, which impacts an individual’s ability learning to read and write despite adequate intelligence, education and remediation. The predominant etiological view postulates that dyslexia results from a deficit in the phonological domain, specifically in the quality and accuracy of phonological representations. A vital component in the development of phonological representations ...
Adverse health outcomes in relation to blood pressure and genetic, epigenetic and environmental risk factors KU Leuven
Identification of risk factors is pivotal in disease prevention. The objectives of this doctoral thesis were to address the contribution of common risk factors to the incidence of adverse health outcomes. In line with the title of my thesis, I structured my research around three themes: hypertension, genetic and epigenetic variants that potentially carry risk and exposure to environmental pollutants. The focus on hypertension was obvious ...
Metabolism without GLUT4, UCP1 and leptin: mRNA expression analysis in chicken. KU Leuven
When analysing gene expression of >20 tissues in mice, we discovered the phenomenon of “disallowed” genes (financially supported by FWO - G067212N). Last year, we started analysis of evolutionary conservation of “disallowed genes” by defining a core set of mRNA encoding genes that are commonly present in the genomes of humans, chickens, lizards and coelacanth, representing 4 major classes of vertebrate life. Taking human genes as reference ...
Linking patient adiposity to tumour microenvironment and therapy response in breast cancer: towards tailored treatment strategies in obesity KU Leuven
This thesis explores innovative translational research approaches in breast cancer, aiming to increase biological understanding of the disease and thereby help advance precision medicine. It does so in two groups of patients with a high clinical unmet need. First, it investigates patients with early breast cancer in the context of adiposity (body fat accumulation). Secondly, it investigates metastatic breast cancer, which is the ultimate ...