Projects
From hit to lead: inducing basal autophagy for treating cardiovascular disease. University of Antwerp
Autophagy induction as mechanism of action in cardiovascular disease prevention by olive polyphenols. University of Antwerp
Morphological, molecular and functional insights into the cardiovascular complications of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease Ghent University
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) occurs upon mutations in either the PKD1 or PKD2 gene and represents the most common monogenetic disease (incidence 1:500-1:1000). Frequent and dire complications of APDKD are cardiovascular anomalies, such as intracranial aneurysms, which upon rupture are life-threatening. Here, I intend to further exploit a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated animal model for ADPKD to obtain morphological, molecular and ...
The use of metformin in the battle against chronic kidney disease and its cardiovascular complications. University of Antwerp
CardioReGenix: Development of Next-Generation Gene Therapies for Cardiovascular Disease (OZR EU Bonus). Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The high- throughput identification and validation of epigenetic biomarkers for cardiovascular disease. Ghent University
In the Western World, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent the most important cause of death. The interaction between aging, genetics and lifestyle in the development of CVD pints towards an epigenetic component. Therefore, a high- throughput epigenetic profiling of CVD will be performed, based on samples from the longitudinal Asklepios study. This may deepen the understanding of the molecular pathology of CVD
The role of autophagy in the prevention of oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease by olive polyphenols. University of Antwerp
The role of elastin-derived peptides in the progression of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular disease with a focus on autophagy inhibition as contributing mechanism. University of Antwerp
Improving non-invasive diagnostics of cardiovascular disease using ultrasound: development of new blood flow and vessel wall quantification techniques using multiphysics modeling and in-vivo validation studies. Ghent University
Vascular applications of medical ultrasound still show severe limitations. A multiphysical simulation tool was previously developed to support the development of new techniques. This project will use our simulationmodel to develop vascular strain imaging, a highly useful tool when screening for vulnerable arterial lesions (e.g. plaques). Both conventional and new imaging approaches will be explored using human and murine data.