PhD
Lead for the research theme on (local) complement activation and inhibition
Research
I am working as a postdoctoral researcher at the LuVaCs. Within the LuVaCs we investigate systemic autoimmune diseases with renal manifestations in which the complement system and its activation / dysregulation plays a role. Within the team, I lead the research focused on (local) complement activation and inhibition (one of our research themes) .
The complement system is an important part of our innate immune system. Most of the complement factors are produced by the liver, however, production outside the liver has also been observed, for example by immune cells. In anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), immune cells, including neutrophils, are recruited to the site of inflammation. A vicious cycle is initiated: neutrophils are primed by complement factor C5a resulting in the exposure of autoantigens onto the surface which are then bound by ANCAs. This contributes to neutrophil activation, the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and (additional) complement activation.
In my research, I aim to better understand the local complement profile in AAV by applying spatial-OMICS. This information will be combined with the measurements of complement factors locally (=in urine) and systemically (=in blood). In addition, I am investigating which complement components are produced by our immune cells to determine their contribution in (local) complement activation during infection and inflammation.
A better understanding of the role of complement in AAV will eventually support our decision making in which patients are eligible for what kind of (complement)-directed therapy.
Curriculum vitae
I studied at the Radboud University in Nijmegen and I have obtained a bachelor and master degree in Molecular Life Sciences (2010-2015). After a six month internship at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, I started my PhD project at the group of prof. dr. van Kooten (October 2015). My research project was part of the COMBAT consortium. Together with researchers from RadboudUMC, UMCG and University of Utrecht we investigated the role of the complement system in renal diseases and transplantation, mainly focusing on the alternative pathway. Dysregulation/overactivation of the complement system is involved in renal diseases, including aHUS and C3G, and plays a role in transplantation. In my project I investigated the local role of the complement system, mainly focusing on properdin, a protein which is able to stabilize the alternative pathway. In October 2022 I defended my thesis ‘Multifaceted role of the complement system in health and disease – a focus in properdin’. Since then I work as a postdoctoral research at LuVaCs, investigating the role of the complement system in autoimmune diseases with renal manifestations.