Projects
Softness matters: investigating red blood cells as tool and target KU Leuven
The objective of this project is to understand margination of white blood cells in blood flow as well as to obtain a complete understanding of the yield stress of aggregated blood. To this end ultra-fast confocal microscopy will be used in combination with a home-build shear cell. We will tune the interaction of the red blood cells using model depletants as well as model microgels will be used to mimic the white blood cells.
Evaluating the effect of sampling site and cryopreservation on blood cell counts for various subpopulations University of Antwerp
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 ...
Functional analysis of T cells infiltrating the lungs of severely ill COVID-19 patients Ghent University
Despite intensive research efforts all over the world, how the SARS-CoV-2 virus destroys lung function and why this happens only in selected patients remains incompletely understood. We have therefore collected lung and blood samples of COVID-19 patients hospitalized for severe disease at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These samples have been analysed via single cell RNA sequencing, a recently developed technology that yields ...
Unravelling the link between dendritic cells and myeloproliferative disorder. KU Leuven
The role of glial cells in sALS and C9orf72 HRE-mediated ALS KU Leuven
The aim of this research project is to further study neuroinflammation in ALS in the different clinical and genetic subtypes of the disease and to map changes in composition of the different subpopulations of white blood cells and cytokines in the blood of ALS patients. The changes found will be correlated with the existing biomarkers and with known prognostic factors of the disease.
(Epi)-genetic PEAR1 PHenotyping in HEmatopoietic Specification (EPHES). KU Leuven
Platelets are small circulating cells that play a crucial role in arresting bleeding after vascular trauma. One of the proteins that contributes to this process is the Platelet Endothelial Aggregation Receptor-1 (PEAR1) which stabilizes platelet aggregation. PEAR1 is also present in other cells that are precursors of platelets and in cells, present in the blood stream. To better understand why PEAR1 is present in certain blood cells while ...
Investigating the interplay between von Willebrand factor, platelets, and neutrophil extracellular traps in pathologies involving thrombosis of the microvasculature KU Leuven
White blood cells are essential for fighting infection using specific killing mechanisms. However, when these processes get activated in the absence of infection, this can cause disease. Similarly, von Willebrand factor (VWF), which serves as a sort of glue during blood clotting by sticking platelets (small blood cells) to damaged blood vessels, can also lead to disease when it gets released without injury. One of the ways that white blood ...
Research of the interaction between VWF and 'neutrophil extracellular traps' in trombotic microangiopathies. KU Leuven
White blood cells are essential for fighting infection using specific killing mechanisms. However, when these processes get activated in the absence of infection, this can cause disease. Similarly, von Willebrand factor (VWF), which serves as a sort of glue during blood clotting by sticking platelets (small blood cells) to damaged blood vessels, can also lead to disease when it gets released without injury. One of the ways that white blood ...