Specialization
My specialization lies in the use of computational design of envelope glycoproteins. This includes structure-based design and recently also AI-based approaches. Furthermore, throughout my PhD and postdoctoral research, I have used nanoparticles to develop experimental vaccines against HIV-1 and HCV.
Focus of research
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major global health threat and kills around 300,000 peope each year. Still, there is no effective vaccine available.
After my PhD on HIV-1 vaccines, I pivoted my research line towards HCV. In 2022, together with collegues from Scripps Research Institute, we solved the structure of the HCV E1E2 spike. Now, we are using this structure to inform the design of novel HCV antigens. I also employ nanoparticle and mRNA strategies to further improve the immunogenicity of these candidates.
My team has developed a series of first and second generation stabilzied E1E2 antigens, which we have used to study the binding of HCV bispecific antibodies and to study human-induced HCV neutralizing antibodies.
We are currently using these antigens to decipher the humoral response in HCV-infected individuals and develop a clinically relevant HCV vaccine. For this we will employ mRNA and nanoparticle technology and we have started to pivot towards AI-based vaccine design.