Projects
Developing a diagnostic strategy and optimizing preventive means to recognize and control rotavirus infections in young piglets Ghent University
In a first phase of the project, the prevalence and importance of rotavirus infections on Flemish swine farms was investigated using extensive longitudinal field studies on 13 farms, an approach which was unique in the world. Rotavirus was endemically present on all Flemish farms. During the suckling period in the farrowing house, infections break-through in absence of good maternal (lactogenic) immunity or by the end of the farrowing stages ...
Rotavirus in Bats and Humans: Genetic Diversity and Gastroenteritis in the Post-Vaccine Era KU Leuven
For my doctoral project, I will focus on the rotavirus genetic diversity and impact of mass vaccination in Belgium. Rotaviruses are the major causes of gastroenteritis worldwide and two oral, live-attenuated vaccines are part of national immunization schedules in Belgium. It is crucial to monitor the genotype distribution of the wild-type strains, as mass vaccination might induce selective pressure and novel rotavirus strains emerge and ...
Gastroenteritis in rotavirus vaccinated infants in Belgium and Vietnam: the effect of maternal antibodies through breastfeading and the identification of (new) pathogens. KU Leuven
Modeling the impact and cost-effectiveness of next-generation rotavirus vaccine strategies in low- and middle-income countries. University of Antwerp
Improving (cost-) effectiveness analyses of rotavirus vaccination programmes: combining dynamic modelling with in-depth uncertainty analysis. University of Antwerp
Exploring novel antiviral strategies to combat noro- and rotavirus infections by using gut organoids KU Leuven
The student will investigate viral replication assays in gut organoids towards their use in exploring novel antiviral strategies to combat noro- and rotavirus infections. The major limitation to develop novel small molecule inhibitors for human noro- (HuNoV) and rotaviruses (HRV) is the lack of a robust in vitro or in vivo culture model. Gut organoids will be implemented to study infection and replication of multiple HuNoV and HRV strains. ...