Seminars and thesis defences

Lisa FLASSE - IREC/LTAP
New mechanistic insights into the adverse outcomes of low-toxicity persistent particles

Mert Can YILDIRIM - TFAR/FACM
Asymmetric Membrane Properties as Determinants of Antibiotic Permeation, Activity, and Bacterial Adaptation

Info: mireille.alhouayek@uclouvain.be
 

Paul PARRENS – ADDB
Peptide derivatives against intracellular S. aureus persisters: selecting lead compounds for future formulation

Elsa TEMPERMAN - BPBL 
The effect of endocannabinoid-derived prostaglandins and of ABHD6 inhibition in lung inflammation

Info: mireille.alhouayek@uclouvain.be
 

Dr Bradley WARD - TFAR PMGK - Postdoctoral Researcher in Bioinformatics and Multi-Omics Integrated PharmacoMetrics, PharmacoGenomics and PharmacoKinetics

The use and development of exploratory multi-omic analysis for complex disease: A COVID-19 Proof-of-concept

Related publications:
•    Ward B, Yombi JC, Balligand JL, Cani PD, Collet JF, de Greef J, Dewulf JP, Gatto L, Haufroid V, Jodogne S, Kabamba B, Pyr Dit Ruys S, Vertommen D, Elens L, Belkhir L. HYGIEIA: HYpothesizing the Genesis of Infectious Diseases and Epidemics through an Integrated Systems Biology Approach. Viruses. 2022 Jun 23;14(7):1373. doi : 10.3390/v14071373. 
•    Bradley Ward, Sébastien Pyr dit Ruys, Jean-Luc Balligand, Leïla Belkhir, Patrice D. Cani, Jean-François Collet, Julien De Greef, Joseph P. Dewulf, Laurent Gatto, Vincent Haufroid, Sébastien Jodogne, Benoît Kabamba, Maxime Lingurski, Jean Cyr Yombi, Didier Vertommen, and Laure Elens. Deep Plasma Proteomics with Data-Independent Acquisition: Clinical Study Protocol Optimization with a COVID-19 Cohort. Journal of Proteome Research. 2024 23 (9), 3806-3822. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.4c00104.
•    Bradley Ward, Laure B. Bindels, Jean-Luc Balligand, Bertrand Bearzatto, Guido Bommer, Patrice D. Cani, Julien De Greef, Joseph P. Dewulf, Laurent Gatto12, Vincent Haufroid, Sébastien Jodogne, Benoît Kabamba, Sébastien Pyr dit Ruys, Didier Vertommen, Jean Cyr Yombi, Leïla Belkhir, Laure Elens. Association of nasopharyngeal Dolosigranulum pigrum and Corynebacterium species with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 in a longitudinal cohort. Microbiology Spectrum. (in press).

Info: laure.elens@uclouvain.be
 

Wednesday April 22, 2026 – 4pm – Auditoire 51G

Chi-Hsien LEE – MNUT

Discovery of a novel myo-inositol to butyrate fermentation pathway and taxonomic expansion of the genus Dysosmobacter in the human gut

Promotor: Prof. Patrice Cani

Related publications:
•    Lee C-H, Bui TPN, Petitfils C, Jian C, Wong GC, Puel A, Le Roy T, Bellais S, Ben Abdallah B, Nehlich M, Leicht T, Jia M, Hoyles L, Federici M, Fernández-Real JM, Burcelin R, Dumas M-E, Delzenne NM, Clavel T, Boeren S, Troise AD, Scaloni A, Muccioli GG, de Vos WM, Van Hul M, Cani PD. Novel myo-inositol to butyrate fermentation pathway in the prevalent human gut species Dysosmobacter welbionis, a bacterium associated with improved metabolic and liver health. Gut. 2026; doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2025-336617.
•    Lee C-H, Petitfils C, Bui TPN, Van Der Smissen P, Delzenne NM, Tyteca D, de Vos WM, Van Hul M, Cani PD. Dysosmobacter phytatis sp. nov., isolated from human feces, with Oscillibacter acetigenes as a later heterotypic synonym of Dysosmobacter welbionis and Pusillibacter faecalis as a later heterotypic synonym of Dysosmobacter hominis. Submitted to IJSEM in 2026.

Info: patrice.cani@uclouvain.be

Lorine LEMAIRE – ADDB and MITH (VUB)
Design of an anti-elastase nanomedicine to prevent the evolution of emphysema in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Marie-Sophie MARTOU – CMFA and IREC/FATH
Creating anti-angiogenic miniproteins targeting protein-protein interactions as a new strategy in anticancer therapy

Info: mireille.alhouayek@uclouvain.be 
 

Prof. Twan LAMMERS - Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics - Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging - RWTH Aachen University Clinic – Aachen, Germany

Strategies to Promote Cancer Nanomedicine Performance and Clinical Translation

Related publications:
•    Dasgupta A, Sun T, Palomba R, Rama E, Zhang Y, Power C, Liu M, Sarode A, Weiler M, Motta A, Porte C, Magnuska Z, Elshafei A, Barmin R, Graham A, McClelland A, Rommel D, Stickeler E, Kiessling F, Pallares R,   De Laporte L, Decuzzi P, McDannold N, Mitragotri S, Lammers T. Non-spherical ultrasound microbubbles. PNAS 2023, 120, e2218847120
•    Dasgupta A, Sun T, Rama E, Motta A, Zhang Y, Power C, Moeckel D, Moosavifar M, Barmin R, Porte C, Buhl E, Bastard C, Pallares R, Kiessling F, McDannold N, Mitragotri S, Lammers T. Transferrin receptor-targeted nonspherical microbubbles for blood-brain barrier sonopermeation. Adv Mater 2023, 35, e2308150
•    Dasgupta A, Sofias A, Kiessling F, Lammers T. Nanoparticle delivery to tumors: From EPR and ATR mechanisms to clinical impact. Nat Rev Bioeng 2024, 2, 714-716
•    Pallares R, Consolino L, Wang A, De Lorenzi F, Kiessling F, Schroeder A, Lammers T. Targeting metastasis with nanomedicine. Nat Rev Bioeng 2026 (in press)

Info: ana.beloqui@uclouvain.be
 

Darius MAZHARI DOROOEE – CMFA

Structural and mechanistic investigation of the acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) inhibition in the context of ferroptosis-related diseases and cancer

Promotor: Prof. Raphaël Frédérick
Co-promotor: Dr Jamal El Bakali (Université de Lille)

Related publications:
•    Mazhari Dorooee Darius, Ravez Séverine, Vertommen Didier, Renault Nicolas, Papadopoulos Nicolas, Marteau Romain, Charnelle Emeline, Porte Karine, Gobert Alexandre, Hennuyer Nathalie, Herinckx Gaetan, Pautric Maëla, Jonneaux Aurélie, Devedjian Jean Christophe, Devos David, Staels Bart, Melnyk Patricia, Constantinescu Stefan N, Frédérick Raphaël°, El Bakali Jamal°. LIBX-A401: A Novel Selective Inhibitor of Acyl-CoA Synthetase Long Chain Family Member 4 (ACSL4) and Its Binding Mode (2025) Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, e202500518.
•    Marteau Romain*, Ravez Séverine*, Mazhari Dorooee Darius, Bouchaoui Hind, Porte Karine, Devedjian Jean Christophe, Melnyk Patricia, Devos David, Frédérick Raphaël°, El Bakali Jamal°. Repositioning of FDA-Approved antifungal agents to interrogate Acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4 (ACSL4) in ferroptosis (2022) Biochemical Pharmacology, 204: 115239
•    Charnelle Emeline*, Gobert Alexandre*, Marteau Romain, Pautric Maëla, Renault Nicolas, Jonneaux Aurélie, Mazhari Dorooee Darius, Laversin Amélie, Devedjian Jean-christophe, Melnyk Patricia, Yous Saïd, Devos David, Frédérick Raphaël, Ravez Séverine°, El Bakali Jamal°. Discovery of Potent Acyl-CoA Synthetase Long-Chain Family Member 4 (ACSL4) Inhibitors with Antiferroptotic Properties (2025) Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Info: raphael.frederick@uclouvain.be
 

Dr Evelyne VAN den BROUCKE - Pharmacy Department, University Hospitals Leuven - Advancing Pharmacist-Led Services for Optimised Pharmacotherapy 

Expanding the Check of Medication Appropriateness (CMA), Developing the Check of Compounding Appropriateness (CCA) & Establishing a Centre for Medicines Information (CMI)

Related publications:
•    Evaluation and implementation of optimized antimicrobial dosing strategies in obese and underweight patients. Valerie Caubergs, Evelyne Van den Broucke, Beatrijs Mertens, Matthias Gijsen, Willy E. Peetermans, Eric Van Wijngaerden, Stefanie Desmet, Katrien Lagrou, Peter Declercq, Charlotte Quintens & Isabel Spriet. Infection, Volume 52, pages 2297–2314, (2024). doi: 10.1007/s15010-024-02279-w
•    Antimicrobial stewardship strategies for implementing the 2019 EUCAST “I” definition. Evelyne Van den Broucke, Charlotte Quintens, Willy E. Peetermans, Eric Van Wijngaerden, Otto Van de gaer, Stefanie Desmet & Isabel Spriet. BMC Infectious Diseases, Volume 26, article number 24, (2026). doi: 10.1186/s12879-025-11943-x

Info: anne.spinewine@uclouvain.be
 

Eloïse VIERA OLIVERA – MNUT
Interest of volatilome analysis in the eludication of gut microbiota – host interactions in nutrition and health
Prom: Prof. Nathalie DELZENNE

Daria KOVRYZHENKO - TFAR FACM
Membrane properties upon aggressiveness and invasiveness of glioblastoma cells in relation to mechanosensation
Prom: Prof. Joseph Lorent

Info: mireille.alhouayek@uclouvain.be