Curriculum Vitae
September 2019 – now
Postdoctoral fellow
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg
Structural and Computational Biology, Bork Group
January 2019 – July 2019
Postdoctoral fellow
University of Antwerp, Belgium
Lab of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology led by Prof. Sarah Lebeer
2015 – now
President ALABO vzw
Voluntary organisation that connects the Bio-Science Engineering alumni of the University of Antwerp
2016 – 2018
Secretary RSG Belgium
Secretary of RSG Belgium, regional student group of bioinformatics, that aims to create a network among PhD students and Postdocs in Bioinformatics.
Education
2014 – 2019
PhD in Bio-Science Engineering
University of Antwerp, Belgium
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
A joint PhD between the Lab of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology led by Prof. Sarah Lebeer, UAntwerp and the Lab of Industrial Microbiology and Food Biotechnology led by Prof. Luc De Vuyst and Prof. Stefan Weckx, VUB.
- Research stay at the Computational Metagenomics lab of Prof Dr. Nicola Segata at the University of Trento, Italy
- Thesis title: “A genome-based view on lactobacilli and their role in the carrot juice fermentation process”
2012 – 2014
Master of Science (M.Sc.) Bio-Science Engineering: Cell and Gene Technology
KU Leuven, Belgium
- Minor in bioinformatics
- Member of the KU Leuven iGEM 2013 team
2009 – 2012
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Bio-Science Engineering: Cell and Gene Technology
University of Antwerp, Belgium
Awards
2019
Van Os prijs 2019
Every two years, the Dutch Organisation for Pharmacognosy (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Geneeskruidenonderzoek; NVGO) awards a prize to young scientists who have finished their PhD on a topic related to the field. In June 2019, I was awarded this prize for my PhD thesis entitled “A genome-based view on lacobacilli and their role in the carrot juice fermentation process”
EOS Pipet 2019: Publieksprijs
Every year EOS Wetenschap and De Jonge Academie nominate five young promising researchers. All five have to present their research in laymen terms for 10 minutes. Two prizes are awarded, one from a specialised jury and one from the public (online voting as well as voting after the presentation). In May 2019 I won the public vote for my PhD work on fermented vegetables and its associated bacteria.
2018
Winner DNA data storage challenge
On 21 January 2015, Prof. Nick Goldman presented his work on DNA-storage at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. As part of this presentation, he set a challenge. Test tubes containing samples of DNA encoding 1 Bitcoin (1 BTC or 1 ฿) were distributed to the audience. The first person to sequence (read) the DNA and decode the files it contains can take possession of the Bitcoin.
In January 2018, almost 3 years after the challenge was issued, I was the first one to sequence the DNA-sample and successfully decode it to claim the Bitcoin.
2013
Best computational model at iGEM 2013 competition
As a member of the KU Leuven iGEM 2013 team we won the best model price, a price for the best mathematical model and computer simulations of the devised biological system at the World Jamboree 2013 (Boston, MIT)