RESEARCH GROUPS

Bijlsma Group

Generating organoids from pancreatic and esophageal cancer to study tumor biology and test efficacy of novel treatments.

Complex Ophthalmogenetics

Elucidating the complex genetics of ophthalmogenetic disorders and developing rational, genomics-driven diagnostics and therapies.

CEMM – Molecular Oncology

Defining the impact of oncogenic mutations on stem cell dynamics in the intestine.

DigeST

Studying the impact of specialized nutrition on gut maturation in early life and later life gut health and understanding the mechanisms of gut regeneration and how these are recapitulated during the development of colorectal cancer.

Environmental control of the immune system

Developing 3D human lymph node organotypic cultures, in order to include the immune system in multi-organ on chip devices.

Immunohematology

Performing translational research on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which is a prime example of a malignancy that is highly dependent on interactions with the tumor microenvironment. 

Huntington Disease proteostasis group

Improving selective degradation of mHTT by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, using a combination of advanced microscopy, proteomics, peptide chemistry and biochemistry to understand & manipulate degradation of mHTT in 2D and 3D cell models.

LEXOR

Studying cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, specifically colorectal, esophageal and pancreatic cancer.

Lisa van Baarsen Lab

Studying failure of immunological tolerance in various rheumatic diseases, focusing on the interaction between stromal cells and immune cells.

OrganoVIR Labs

Studies picornaviruses, CMV, HIV and recently SARS-CoV-2 using human gut, airway, blood-brain-barrier and brain organoids.

Skinlab

Focusing on human skin and mucosa biology, and in particular in generating the next generation of animal alternative methods which can be used to develop novel therapeutic strategies for treating and preventing human disease.

RIRE (renal injury and repair)

Using iPSCs-derived kidney organoids to model congenital defects, for drug development, personalized medicine and to improve our understanding of kidney development, acute kidney injury, fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease.

Stem Cell Biology

Identifing and describing glial defects in neurodevelopmental disorders, and to perform proof-of-concept studies for glial-targeted therapy strategies using advanced stem cell technologies. 

Tas Group

Mimicking the RA synovial tissue using multicellular 3D systems that recapitulate the cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions, and key pro-inflammatory mediators present in the inflamed synovium.