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VIB International Ph.D. Program selections 2009
From 11-14 May 2009, 12 candidates from all over the world visited VIB headquarters for the selection interviews of the VIB International Ph.D. Program 2009. Based on the application files and the selection interviews, the Program Committee selected 4 candidates for a VIB funded Ph.D. project.
Below, we briefly present the candidates and their project choices.
Eleonora Billi from Italy, who will work on a Ph.D.-project in the labs of Frans Van Roy (Dept. for Molecular Biomedical Research, UGent) and Jan Tavernier (Dept. of Medical Protein Research, Ghent University): Identification and functional analysis of molecular interaction partners of delta-protocadherin family members with putative roles in cancer.
Arun Kumar from India, who will work on a Ph.D.-project in the labs of Wim Annaert (Dept. of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, K.U.Leuven) and Kris Gevaert (Dept. of Medical Protein Research, Ghent University): Superparamagnetic nanoparticles for targeted subcellular proteomics and identification of novel biomarkers.
Liya Jose from India, who will work on a Ph.D.-project in the labs of Wim Robberecht (VIB Vesalius Research Center, K.U.Leuven) and Patrik Verstreken (Dept. of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, K.U.Leuven): Modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in flies and fish.
Joemar Taganna from The Philippines, who will work on a Ph.D.-project in the labs of Nico Callewaert (Dept. for Molecular Biomedical Research, UGent) and Han Remaut (Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Interactions, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel): Hoodwinking uropathogenic E. coli with sugar to keep them away from diabetics.
One additional candidate from the interviewees was also recruited in a VIB laboratory. Ermanoska Biljana from Macedonia joined the lab of promotor Vincent Timmerman (Dept. of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp).
VIB International Ph.D. Program selections 2008
From 14-16 May 2008, 15 candidates from all over the world visited VIB headquarters for the selection interviews of the VIB International Ph.D. Program 2008. Based on the application files and the selection interviews, the Program Committee selected 4 candidates for a VIB funded Ph.D. project.
Unfortunately enough, 2 of the selected candidates were unable to take up their position. Below, we briefly present the candidates and their project choices.
Miguel Cardoso from Mexico, who will work on a Ph.D.-project in the labs of Xavier Saelens (Dept. for Molecular Biomedical Research, UGent) and Serge Muyldermans (Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Interactions, Vrije Universiteit Brussel): Isolation, expression and validation of influenza A virus Neuraminidase inhibiting single chain cameloid antibodies.
Cezary Waszczak from Poland, who will work on a Ph.D.-project in the labs of Frank Van Breusegem (Dept. of Plant systems Biology, UGent) and Jan Steyaert (Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Interactions, Vrije Universiteit Brussel): Oxidative stress signal transduction in plants.
Two candidates from the 15 interviewees were also recruited by VIB Group Leaders:
Magdalena Zimon, from Poland, joined the lab of promotor Peter De Jonghe (VIB Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Antwerp University).
Virdi Vikram, from India, joined the lab of promotor Ann Depicker (VIB Dept. of Plant Systems Biology, Ghent University).
VIB International Ph.D. Program selections 2007
From 17-19 September 2007, 13 candidates from all over the world visited VIB headquarters for the selection interviews of the VIB International Ph.D. Program 2007. Based on the application files and the selection interviews, the Program Committee selected 4 candidates for a VIB funded Ph.D. project. Below, we briefly present the candidates and their project choices.
Morvarid Farhang graduated in Biology and Genetics from the University of Göteborg, Sweden. The aim of her master thesis project was to determine the methylation status at the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome gene region and to develop a global method for methylation testing. For her Ph.D. research at VIB, she chose the project of promotor Jody Haigh (VIB Dept. for Molecular Biomedical Research, Ghent University) and co-promotor Jean-Christophe Marine (Lab of Molecular Cancer Biology, Ghent University). In this project, she will be studying the molecular and genetic interplay between p53 and VEGF in development and cancer progression.
David Nittner from Germany, studied Biochemistry at the Eberhard-Karls-University in Tübingen. He has now joined the VIB labs of promotor Jean-Christophe Marine (Lab of Molecular Cancer Biology, Ghent University) and co-promotor Jody Haigh (VIB Dept. for Molecular Biomedical Research, Ghent University) where he will try to find out whether p53 needs to bind to a key epigenetic regulator for oncogene-induced senescence and tumor suppression.
Tessa Moses is an Indian microbiologist who studied at the Mumbay University in India.
She started recently in the VIB labs of promotor Alain Goossens (VIB Dept. of Plant Systems Biology, Ghent University) and co-promotor Johan Thevelein (VIB Dept. of Molecular Microbiology, the K.U.Leuven) where she will work on the biosynthesis of novel plant derived drugs in engineered yeast.
Styliani Tsiatsiani is a Greek plant biotechnologist who obtained her degree at the Wageningen University in The Netherlands. She joined the VIB labs of promotor Frank Van Breusegem (VIB Dept. of Plant Systems Biology, Ghent University) and co-promotor Kris Gevaert (VIB Dept. of Medical Protein Research, Ghent University) to discover and evaluate Arabidopsis metacaspases targets.
Several candidates from the 13 interviewees were also recruited by VIB Group Leaders:
Magdalena Wejda, from Poland, joined the lab of promotor Peter Vandenabeele (VIB Dept. for Molecular Biomedical Research, Ghent University).
Aleksandra Siekierska, from Poland, joined the Switch-lab of promotors Joost Schymkowitz and Frederic Rousseau (VIB Switch laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel).
Mario di Matteo, from Italy, started in the lab of promotor Thierry VandenDriessche (VIB Dept. of Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, the K.U.Leuven).
VIB International Ph.D. Program selections 2006
From 4-6 September 2006, 14 candidates from all over the world visited VIB headquarters for the selection interviews of the VIB International Ph.D. Program 2006. Based on the application files and the selection interviews, the Program Committee selected 4 candidates for a VIB funded Ph.D. project. Below, we briefly present the candidates and their project choices.
Lorena Lopez is an agricultural engineer from Colombia. She previously worked as a research assistant on an agrobiodiversity project at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia. She chose the project of promotor Patrick Van Dijck (Department of Molecular Microbiology, the K.U.Leuven) and co-promotor Tom Beeckman (Department of Plant Systems Biology, the University of Ghent). Lorena is now working on the characterization of a family of Arabidopsis trehalose biosynthesis genes and studies their role in root development and stress tolerance.
Iris Pinheiro is a Portugese biologist who studied at Porto University and worked at INRA in Jouy-en-Josas in France. She has now joined the labs of promotor Claude Libert (Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, the University of Ghent) and co-promotor Marnik Vuylsteke (Department of Plant Systems Biology, the University of Ghent). She is now working on the molecular cloning of the X-chromosome located LPS-resistance gene of SPRET/Ei.
Mauricio Quimbaya is a Colombian biologist who obtained his degree at the Colombian National University. Afterwards, he worked at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia on different projects that included molecular mapping, functional genomics and bioinformatics. He joined the labs of promotor Lieven De Veylder (Department of Plant Systems Biology, the University of Ghent) and co-promotor Geert Berx (Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, the University of Ghent) and is trying to identify novel oncogenes and tumor suppressors through a comparative analysis of cell cycle modulated genes in plants and mammals.
Marianthi Tatari graduated in Biology from the University of Patras, Greece. The aim of her master thesis project was to characterize the gene regulation of the MSSP gene family in Drosophila. Marianthi joined the labs of promotor Geert Berx (Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, the University of Ghent) and co-promotor Jan Gettemans (Department of Medical Protein Research, the University of Ghent) to unveil downstream targets of epithelial-mesenchymal transition during tumorigenesis.
Several other candidates were also recruited by VIB Group Leaders based on the 2006 call for applications.
Lujia Zhou, from China, joined the laboratory of promoter Bart De Strooper (Department of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, K.U.Leuven) where she is working on genetic screens for modulators of gamma-secretase and amyloid toxicity in yeast.
Iván Moya, from Ecuador, is now studying the role of glypicans in morphogen signalling in the laboratory of promotor Guido David (Department of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, the K.U.Leuven).
Mariya Dobreva, from Bulgaria, joined the laboratory of Danny Huylebroeck (Department of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, the K.U.Leuven). She is now working on a project to study the Stem cell capacities of the amnion. The project combines the expertise of An Zwijsen and Pascale Zimmermann.
Deepak Balaji, from India, is working on an interdisciplinary nanobiotechnology project in the laboratory of Wim Annaert (Department of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, the K.U.Leuven).
Agnieszka Gembarska, from Poland, is working on a project to analyze the oncogenic properties of Mdm2 and Mdmx using conditional transgenic mouse models in the lab of promotor Jean-Christophe Marine (Lab of Molecular Cancer Biology, Ghent University).
Leonardo De Souza, from Brazil, is determining the interactomics of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) related genes. He works in the laboratory of Vincent Timmerman (Department of Molecular Genetics, the University of Antwerp).
VIB International Ph.D. Program selections 2005
From 19-20 September 2005, 12 candidates from all over the world visited VIB-headquarters for the selection-interviews of the VIB International Ph.D. Program 2005. Based on the application files and the selection-interviews, the Program Committee selected 4 candidates for a VIB-funded Ph.D.-project. Below, we briefly present the candidates and their project choices.
Irina Lambertz is a Bulgarian native who studied agronomy at the University of Sofia and biotechnology at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania in Greece. She also spent two years working at Boston’s Tufts University in the United States. Irina’s current work focuses on how MicroRNAs regulate key cancer genes in tumorigenesis. Promoter of Irina’s project is Chris Marine (Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Biology, Ghent University). The laboratory’s expertise in mouse cancer genetics also uses the bioinformatics experience of co-promoter Pierre Rouzé (Department of Plant systems Biology, Ghent University).
Diego Forero is a medical doctor from Colombia, who has been analyzing neuropsychiatric diseases in the Colombian population using molecular genetics approaches at the National University of Colombia, Bogota. Diego’s Ph.D. work focuses on the genetic basis of psychiatric diseases in the laboratory of promoter Jurgen Del-Favero (Department of Molecular Genetics, the University of Antwerp). The multifactorial genetics of these diseases is being modeled in Drosophila by working together with co-promoter Patrick Callaerts (Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, the K.U.Leuven).
Margarida Maia is a biochemist from the University of Porto, Portugal. She currently works in the laboratory of promoter Ed Conway (Department of Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, the K.U.Leuven) to study the physiologic role of the tumor endothelial cell marker endosialin. This project combines transgenic technologies with the experience in proteomics and interactomics of co-promoter Jan Tavernier (Department of Medical Protein Research, Ghent University).
Samer Matta from Lebanon studied agricultural engineering at the Lebanese University in Beirut and molecular biology at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania. Samer is now working in the laboratory of promoter Bart De Strooper (Department of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, K.U.Leuven) to study the function of PARL, a mitochondrial protein. The project also makes use of the proteomics expertise of Kris Gevaert (Department of Medical Protein Research).
Several candidates were also recruited by VIB Group Leaders based on the 2005 call for applications. Ricardo Gonçalves (Portugal), Anjana Batni (India) and Rodrigo Gallardo (Chile) also joined VIB to obtain a Ph.D.-degree.
Ricardo Gonçalves is a Portuguese biologist who studied at Porto University. Ricardo also did early research training at the Max Planck Institute in Köln and at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen. He is currently working in the laboratory of promoter Vincent Timmerman (Department of Molecular Genetics, the University of Antwerp) on the molecular genetics and biology of dominant intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy. Together with Patrick Callaerts (Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, the K.U.Leuven), neuropathy models in Drosophila are being established.
Anjana Batni studied biotechnology at Mysore University in India. After obtaining her degree, she worked at a local Indian biotechnology company focusing on recombinant protein expression and applied biotechnology. She is now part of the laboratory of promoter Nico Callewaert (Department of Molecular Biomedical Research, Ghent University) where she works on Mycobacterial glycomics.
Rodrigo Gallardo is from Chile and studied molecular biotechnology at the Universidad de Chile, Santiago. He joined the laboratory of promoter Pascale Zimmermann (Department of Human Genetics, the K.U.Leuven) to analyze the structural determinants of phosphoinositide-PDZ domain interactions.
The protein modeling work involves collaborations with Joost Schymkowitz and Frederic Rousseau from the SWITCH Laboratory (the Vrije Universiteit Brussel) using proprietary developed bio-informatics tools.
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