Projects
Systemic sclerosis and occupational silica or solvent exposure: investigating epidemiology, gene-environment interactions and objective markers of exposure to improve occupational epidemiology, risk assessment and prevention. KU Leuven
Systemic sclerosis is a rare autoimmune disease that can develop in genetically predisposed individuals upon exposure to – at present largely unknown- environmental triggers. The best available evidence supports a link between systemic sclerosis and job exposure to silica or solvents. Due to the rarity of the disease many questions remain open: what is the critical threshold of exposure above which disease will develop? Is intensity of ...
Gene-Environment iNteractions in the pathogenesis of Tobacco smoking-induced Lung diseases (GENT-Lung) Ghent University
This interdisciplinary coordinated research action aims at elucidating geneenvironment interactions in three highly prevalent smoking-induced lung diseases with important morbidity, disability and mortality: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD) and lung cancer. Ultimately, the aim is to elucidate pathogenetic pathways and networks, to identify new targets and to develop new drugs to alleviate these common respiratory ...
Gene-Environment iNteractions in the pathogenesis of Tobacco smoking-induced Lung diseases (GENT-Lung) Ghent University
This interdisciplinary coordinated research action aims at elucidating geneenvironment interactions in three highly prevalent smoking-induced lung diseases with important morbidity, disability and mortality: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD) and lung cancer. Ultimately, the aim is to elucidate pathogenetic pathways and networks, to identify new targets and to develop new drugs to alleviate these common respiratory ...
Systemic sclerosis and occupational silica or solvent exposure: investigating epidemiology, gene-environment interactions and objective markers of exposure to improve occupational epidemiology, risk assessment and prevention KU Leuven
ystemic sclerosis can develop in genetically predisposed individuals upon exposure to environmental triggers. We will investigate the association between occupational exposure to silica or solvents and systemic sclerosis. We will determine genetic backgrounds to evaluate the relation between exposure, genetics and disease characteristics. We will evaluate objective markers of exposure. This would allow for true preventive strategies and lead ...
Self-criticism and affective spectrum symptoms during adolescence: The role of the parenting environment, genetic vulnerability, and their interaction KU Leuven
Studies have shown that depression and functional somatic disorders (e.g., chronic pain and fatigue conditions) are highly comorbid and tend to co-aggregate within families. Hence, researchers argue that depression and functional somatic disorders belong to an “affective spectrum” of disorders that possibly share etiological mechanisms. A growing body of research suggests that self-criticism (i.e., a personality dimension marked by high ...