Projects
Recruitment and activity regulation of the methyltransferase EZH2, an epigenetic key regulator of differentiational genes. KU Leuven
Deciphering the regulation of long-term memory by neuripeptide regulation KU Leuven
To capture a multisensory world, our brain is equipped with sensory circuits that do not work in isolation but influence one another. Such cross-talk between sensory systems allows animals to adjust their choices and needs to multisensory input, increasing their survival chance. Yet, the underlying molecular basis remains elusive. In this project, I aim to deliver a much-needed understanding on how neuropeptide signaling in the brain drives ...
Transdiagnostic mechanisms in youth mental health: emotion regulation as the stepping stone for enhancing wellbeing Ghent University
This project investigates the role of emotion regulation(ER) as a transdiagnotic mechanism in youth mental health. A randomized controlled trial is used to examine the effects of a prevention program on adolescents in the first year of junior high, with expected results on mental health and academic achievement.Furthermore, the effects of diverse ER strategieën are investigated in an experimental study.
Is inbreeding and inbreeding depression associated with epigenetic regulation? – a case study using Daphnia as a model KU Leuven
Inbreeding results when related individuals mate. This may, for instance, occur when populations have become small, often the case for (locally) threatened species. Inbreeding is often associated with a lowered fitness (inbreeding depression; Bijlsma et al. 2000; Hedrick & Kalinowski 2000) and its occurrence has therefore important evolutionary implications. Recent work on plants has revealed that inbred lineages often show increased ...
Metabolic regulation of the macrophage phenotype by acidosis in the microenvironment KU Leuven
Targeting the specific metabolic phenotype of cancer cells has been shown to be an effective way to inhibit tumor progression. Yet, in recent years it emerged that also stromal cells, infiltrating the tumor, support its progression. M1-like and M2-like tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) subtypes are of particular interest, because they may inhibit or promote tumor growth, respectively. These TAM subtypes face differential metabolic ...
Antecedent-focused regulation: a source of cross-cultural differences in emotion. KU Leuven
Function and regulation of the polyamine transporter ATP13A3 in polyamine homeostasis KU Leuven
Polyamines are physiologically important cations that support vital cell functions, but their levels decline with ageing. A disturbed polyamine homeostasis is implicated in ageing-related disorders, whereas polyamine supplementation promotes longevity. Cells acquire polyamines via biosynthesis, or via uptake through the polyamine transport system (PTS). We recently established ATP13A3 as a major component of the PTS that is genetically ...
SpaceTimeOmics: combining high-throughput spatial omics with AI to model gene regulation in space and time KU Leuven
Tracking and understanding cellular differentiation during the development of a multicellular organism at single-cell resolution is a long-standing challenge in biology. While single-cell multi-omics, combined with genomic sequence analysis, provides a powerful means to infer gene regulatory networks for a specific tissue, or for a specific time point (i.e., a snapshot), such approaches are limited in throughput and lack the power to ...
Unraveling how ZEB1 expression in conventional type I dendritic cells regulates the presence of other cell types specifically in the spleen and the functional consequences of this regulation. Ghent University
Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) exist as cDC1s and cDC2s and develop from precursors through the concerted action of distinct transcription factors (TFs). Recently, the ZEB family of TFs have been added to the list of TFs mediating cDC development as we and others, have shown that ZEB2 regulates the decision to become a cDC2. Additionally, our data also suggest that its homolog, ZEB1, is a critical cDC TF, specifically regulating splenic ...