Cancer Predisposition and Precision Oncology Lab
Head
Research
Mission
Our research focuses on improving cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment by establishing minimally invasive methods for both early detection and therapy monitoring in cancer patients. Through these efforts, we hope to contribute to more patient-centered treatment approaches.
Interests
- Unraveling the genetic basis of (inherited) cancer in patients with a presumed genetic predisposition and/or primary immune deficiency
- Studying DNA repair mechanisms involved in cancer predisposition through in vivo functional assessment in zebrafish.
- Developing a zebrafish xenograft platform to predict tumor response to treatments.
- Conducting monitoring studies on liquid biopsies for the early detection and therapy of cancer.
Current Projects
- In vivo functional evaluation of unclassified variants in the BRCA2 breast cancer gene using CRISPR-mediated genome editing in zebrafish.
- Multi-omics approaches to evaluate new biomarkers from liquid biopsies for pancreatic cancer.
- Diagnosing inherited predispositions in pediatric cancers with clinical implementation (DHECIPR).
- Addressing psychosocial aspects related to the diagnosis of inherited predispositions in pediatric cancer.
- Utilizing third-generation sequencing of (epi)genomes, (epi)transcriptomes, and translatomes to transform oncology, rare diseases, microbiology, and developmental biology.
- Development of a Belgian genomic biobank for advancing genetic research.
Team
- Robin De Putter – clinical geneticist, PhD student
- Elyne De Neef – PhD student
- Nele Vandenbussche – PhD student
- Sophie Van Hoywegen – PhD student
- Bea Lintermans – lab technician
- Kim De Leeneer – clinical professor
- Joni Van der Meulen – clinical professor
- Suzanne Vanhauwaert – laboratory geneticist
- Lore Pottie – laboratory geneticist