In 1994 I was born at UZ Brussels (Belgium) where, 18 years later, at its associated university campus, I started my Bachelor and subsequently my Master of Sciences in the Biomedical Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. During my 1st Master year I spend 4 months at the Bone and Joint Research Unit of the William Harvey research institute working on the development of an in vitro assay to test new anti-inflammatory proteins for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In my 2nd Master year I had a 10 month placement at the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy (LMCT) where I performed research in context of my Masterthesis, which was titled ‘Targeting PD-L1 to improve the efficacy of dendritic cell-based vaccines’. Recently, I was given the opportunity of becoming an early stage researcher at CARIM where I will be working on the development of smart peptide/protein based diagnostics and drugs that target microcalcifications. Ultimately, I hope that my contribution will allow for earlier identification and more personalized treatment of cardiovascular disease, caused by vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, and as such helps diminish the burden of this disease.
