Projects
A biology-driven approach to tackle challenges in AAV gene therapy KU Leuven
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy is currently a hot topic in medicine with a record number of clinical trials ongoing and two FDA-approved drugs on the market. From early developments, which mainly took place in academia, gene therapy has quickly morphed into a large industry involving multiple biotech enterprises and pharma companies. Despite considerable investments, gene therapy is still facing challenges inherent to an emerging ...
Neural Mechanisms Underlying Blindsight in Monkeys KU Leuven
After damage to the primary visual cortex (V1) the patients experiences clinical blindness in the corresponding part of the visual field. Nevertheless, several visuo-motor functions persist due to the functionality of multiple V1-independent pathways. Recent evidence suggest that brain plasticity can be promoted through training and/or stimulation to promote partial recovery of visual functions. The present project investigates the neural ...
Promoting brain plasticity for vision recovery after V1 damage KU Leuven
After damage to the primary visual cortex (V1) the patients experiences clinical blindness in the corresponding part of the visual field. Nevertheless, several visuo-motor functions persist due to the functionality of multiple V1-independent pathways. Recent evidence suggest that brain plasticity can be promoted through training and/or stimulation to promote partial recovery of visual functions. The present project investigates the neural ...
The development of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium vivax parasites Institute of Tropical Medicine
The gut-brain axis: investigating the gut microbiome and its influence on behavior in the bonobo (Pan paniscus). University of Antwerp
Artificial vision for the blind: design and fabrication of a high-resolution neural prosthesis for chronic stimulation of the visual cortex KU Leuven
Worldwide, there are as many visually impaired people as hearing impaired. Still, no high-technological solution exists for these people, comparable to cochlear implants. This project aims at filling this scientific knowledge gap, and relieving the clinical needs of these people, by the design of a visual cortical implant. A first step consists in the design and fabrication of a high-resolution, biocompatible implant with thousands of ...
Qualification of the juvenile minipig for pediatric safety testing of single stranded oligonucleotides (SSOs). University of Antwerp
The neural signature of human (sub)conscious visual processing KU Leuven
The concept of subconscious information processing has intrigued
investigators from different research disciplines for a long time. Visual
input can be dissociated from perceptual awareness through different
stimulus presentation paradigms to study subconscious visual
processing. Until now, these paradigms were mainly a research topic
in human cognitive psychology and non-human primate
...Transcriptional Mechanisms of Human-Specific Neuronal Differentiation and Specification KU Leuven
It is often considered that the most complicated structure generated by evolution is the human cerebral cortex, which is responsible for higher-order brain functions (Suzuki & Vanderhaeghen, 2015). At the phenotypic level, the most striking difference certainly resides in the differences in cognitive function between humans and other species. Cellular correlates of this distinction include features such as greater synaptic plasticity and ...