Naam Verantwoordelijke Activiteit "Immunoparasitologie (Rega Instituut)" "Philippe Van den Steen" "Het doel van ons malaria onderzoeksprogramma is om de immunologische en moleculaire mechanismen te onderzoeken die leiden tot ernstige of gecompliceerde malaria en om mogelijke therapieën te ontwikkelen." Reiskliniek "The renewed Department of Clinical Sciences concentrates on patient based research, training and services in developing countries, with emphasis on tropical and infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The department also runs the Medical Services of the ITM, a national reference center for tropical, infectious and imported diseases and HIV/AIDS.The travel clinic provides travel advice to tourists, business travelers and migrants, on site, by telephone and online. It also offers all the required vaccinations. The travel information line handles in excess of 10,000 calls a year and the travel website www.travelhealth.be receives some 300,000 visitors annually.The travel clinic provides over 30,000 consultations a year. Physicians can call the clinic 24/7 for advice on a patient with a potential import illness." "Tropische Geneeskunde" "The Unit of Tropical Diseases has for long been part of the Department of Clinical Sciences, under the leading of Prof. Emeritus Jef Van Den Ende. It is led now since November 2012 by Prof. Emmanuel Bottieau (MD internal medicine/infectious diseases). It has strong collaborative links with the other units of the department, in particular the Unit of Travel Medicine, of Tropical Laboratory Medicine and of the recently created Unit of HIV/Neglected Tropical Diseases, and with the Medical Services. Beyond the department, several current research projects are shared with different biomedical (Medical Helminthology, Veterinarian Helminthology, Malariology, Diagnostic Bacteriology,…) and public health (Disease Control,…) units.In terms of research, the Units of Tropical Diseases and Unit of Travel Medicine have traditionally merged their activity for evident reasons of cross-fertilization between developed and low-resource contexts. Regarding post-travel pathology, both units actively contribute to surveillance and clinical research within well-established international networks of travel clinics (GeoSentinel,  TropNet,…). The Unit of Tropical Diseases works with several Southern institutions (DR Congo, Burkina Faso, Mali, …) within research consortia. The main research topics are:The integrated management (diagnosis-treatment) of febrile illness in the tropics and in travelers, with a focus on malaria, arboviral infection and rickettsiosisThe clinical management of neglected tropical diseases, with a focus on cysticercosis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis and filarial infectionThe clinical decision-making in complex syndromes (neurological disorders, febrile illness, chronic diarrhea,...) in low-resource settingsIn collaboration with the Unit of Travel Medicine: high altitude illness, rabies vaccination,…The unit is responsible of the “classic” postgraduate course of Tropical Medicine (Module 2 of the course “Tropical Medicine and International Health), renamed in 2016 as “Tropical Medicine and Clinical Decisions Making” since there is an important component of Clinical Decision-Making beyond the descriptive pathology.In terms of service delivery, the unit contributes to international clinical courses (such as the Gorgas course of Clinical Tropical Medicine in Peru), national and international working groups/advisory committees (on malaria vaccine and treatment, dengue vaccine, treatment and investigational drugs for neglected tropical diseases such as leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness,…) and reference networks (Chagas, strongyloidiasis,…).   " "Onderzoeksgroep Protozoölogie" "De Onderzoeksgroep Protozoölogie bestaat uit drie onderzoekseenheden (Molecular Parasitology, Trypanosoma, en Malariology)die fundamenteel en translationeel onderzoek doen naar drie belangrijke vectorgebonden protozoaire parasieten die verantwoordelijk zijn voor verwoestende ziekten bij mens en dier in de hele derde wereld: Leishmania (menselijke leishmaniasis), Plasmodium (menselijke malaria), Trypanosoma (menselijke en dierlijke Afrikaanse trypanosomiasis). Er wordt momenteel intensief gewerkt aan de bestrijding en eliminatie van viscerale leishmaniasis op het Indiase subcontinent, malaria in de drie continenten en HAT in Afrika. Ons onderzoek is hier nauw mee verbonden, aangezien de verworven nieuwe kennis en de vertaling daarvan in innovatieve instrumenten voor diagnose en surveillance de lopende programma's voor ziektebestrijding/-eliminatie en de follow-up daarvan zullen verbeteren.Het belangrijkste gemeenschappelijke doel van het basisonderzoek binnen de groep is, door gebruik te maken van state-of-the-art moleculaire, celbiologische en computationele technologieën, het verbeteren van ons begrip van de biologie van de parasiet en de aanpassingsmechanismen aan verschillende micro-omgevingen in zijn gastheren (inclusief de druk van anti-parasitaire geneesmiddelen) en de moleculaire interactie tussen parasiet en gastheer die deze mechanismen aanstuurt. Bovendien bestuderen we de impact van de adaptatie op de genetische en fenotypische heterogeniteit van de parasiet in de gastheer, zowel op individueel als populatieniveau en op de transmissie van de parasiet." "Structuurchemie (STRUCCHEM)" "Frank Blockhuys" "De onderzoeksgroep Structuurchemie van het Departement Chemie van de Universiteit Antwerpen combineert expertise op de gebieden van kwantumchemie, organische halfgeleiders en diffractie in multidisciplinair onderzoek naar de ontwikkeling en implementatie van kwantumchemische methoden voor de studie van grote systemen, de structuur en eigenschappen van chalcogeen-stikstofverbindingen, de structuur van organische verbindingen in de kristalfase, geconjugeerde polymeren, graftcopolymeren en oligomeren voor optische toepassingen, de ontwikkeling en evaluatie van de technologie rond elektronische neuzen en de structuur van moleculen in de gasfase." "Faculteit der Letteren en Wijsbegeerte" "Faculteit der Letteren en Wijsbegeerte" Malariologie "IntroductionThe Unit of Malariology, led by Prof Rosanas-Urgell, aims to contribute to the development of tools and strategies for better malaria control and elimination. Most of our studies are solidly grounded in field-research and epidemiological studies aiming to provide a bridge between invitro and in vivo research. We combine state-of-the-art molecular, ‘omic and cell technologies with field-research to study how Plasmodium parasites adapt to a changing environment. In this endeavor we count on a strong network of collaborations in Europe, Africa, South America, South-East Asia and Oceania.   Main activitiesLines of research in the unit are:. We investigate mechanisms and regulation of P. vivax key biological processes such as development of drug resistance and red blood cell invasion, using ex vivo invasion assays, CRISPR-Cas9 technology, P. knowlesi model and single-cell-sequencing.. We work to develop molecular tools with next generation sequencing (NGS) approaches to support surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and improvement of current malaria control and elimination strategies. We support the transfer of technology, training and supervision to laboratories in malaria endemic areas (https://mesamalaria.org/mesa-track/development-tools-and-strategies-malaria-molecular-surveillance-countries-included-peru).. By using molecular epidemiology studies and fundamental research we investigate how host and environmental factors (host genetics, treatment, immunity and seasonality) impact Plasmodium transmission.Besides research, we provide ISO15189 accredited molecular diagnostic services for Plasmodium in the context of clinical trials, NGO projects and quality control.We are strongly committed to knowledge dissemination with the training of a future generation of excellent scientist at different levels (bachelor, master and PhD) and from diverse backgrounds. We co-organize the Master of Science in Tropical Medicine and the annual course on Molecular Data for Infectious Diseases (https://edu.itg.be/course/component/69) while we contribute to formal teaching activities nationally and internationally.ContactPlease do not hesitate to email us for more information." "Voormalig Departement Parasitologie" "Sociaalecologisch Gezondheidsonderzoek" "Experimentele Immunologie" "Introduction The ITM’s Experimental Immunology Unit aims at understanding the molecular interactions between the vector mosquito and the malaria parasite. Our particular focus is on the Anopheles vector innate immune system and how it is capable of regulating malaria infection and transmission. The expectation of our laboratory research is to identify and characterize genes and physiological systems linked to Anopheles – Plasmodium compatibility, and novel factors that are implicated in the activation and mediation of anti-Plasmodium immune responses in the malaria vector mosquito.  Research goals In brief, research in the Experimental Immunology Unit aims at:• Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating the malaria mosquito innate immunity responses, particularly melanization, in a vector-parasite specific manner.• Addressing the natural variations of vector immunity to different Plasmodium species and other pathogens, pointing at the identification of pathogen-specific pathways that are relevant biological regulators for disease transmission.• Identifying new transmission-blocking targets for the development of novel malaria vector control genetic technologies. Contact: Maria Luísa Simões, Principal Investigator, Unit Head: mlsimoes@itg.be"