OUR TEAM
Meet the people of our lab!
Check it out below.
GROUP LEADER
Prof. Dr. Ir. Bram Van de Poel
EDUCATION
CAREER
2016-Current
University of Leuven - Belgium
Associate Professor
2008-2013
University of Leuven - Belgium
PhD
2014-2016
Ghent University - Belgium
Post doc - Van Der Straeten Lab
2005-2007
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bio-science Engineering
2013-2014
University of Maryland - USA
Post doc - Chang Lab
2002-2005
University of Antwerp - Belgium
Bachelor in Bio-science Engineering
LAB TECHNICIAN
SECRETARY
Eva Vanden Broeck
Julie Vercruysse
RESEARCH MANAGER
EDUCATION
John Vaughan-Hirsch
2017-2019
University of Nottingham - United Kingdom
Post doc - Bishopp lab
2013-2017
University of Nottingham - United Kingdom
PhD
2010-2013
University of London - United Kingdom
Bachelor in Biology
POST DOCS
EDUCATION
Alisa Keyl
2019-2023
University of Goettingen - Germany
PhD/Dr. rer. nat. in Plant Biochemistry
2017-2019
University of Goettingen - Germany
Master of Science in Molecular Life Sciences
2014-2017
University of Goettingen - Germany
Bachelor of Science in Biology
Thomas Reher
2019-2024
University of Leuven - Belgium
PhD in Bio-science Engineering
2010-2012
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bio-science Engineering
2007-2010
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bio-science Engineering
Nina Bziuk
2023-2024
Technical University Graz - Austria
Post Doc
2017-2022
Technical University Braunschweig - Germany
PhD/Dr. rer. nat. in Environmental Microbiology
In collaboration with Prof. Barbara De Coninck and Dr. Francisco Nasciemento
2014-2016
Technical University Braunschweig - Germany
Master in Science
Jolien Pattyn
2019-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
PhD in Bio-science Engineering
2017-2019
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2014-2017
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
PHD STUDENTS
EDUCATION
Laura Van Der Jeucht
2019-2021
Vrije Universiteit Brussels - Belgium
Master in Biology - Ecology and Biodiversity
2016-2019
Vrije Universiteit Brussels - Belgium
Bachelor in Biology
In collaboration with Prof. Wim Van Den Ende
Niels Eerdekens
2021-2023
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2018-2021
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Jana Mertens
2021-2023
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2018-2021
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Zoë Scheerlinck
2021-2023
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2017-2021
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
In collaboration with Prof. Jan Diels
Francisco Quintas Nunes
In collaboration with Prof. Francisco Nascimento ibet Portugal
2017-2019
University of Lisbon - Portugal
Master in Applied Microbiology
2013-2017
University of Lisbon - Portugal
Bachelor in Biology
Cindy Ku
2017-2020
National Taiwan University - Taiwan
Master of Science in Horticultural Crop Science
2013-2017
National Taiwan University - Taiwan
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
In collaboration with Prof. Filip Rolland
Elif Nur Kabak
2022-2024
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Biochemistry and biotechnology
2018-2021
UC Leuven-Limburg - Belgium
Bachelor in Biochemistry
João Ferreira
2021-2023
University of Porto - Portugal
Master in Functional Plant Biology and Biotech
2018-2021
University of Porto - Portugal
Bachelor in Biology
Julia Zalder
2019-2024
University of Munster - Germany
Master of Science Biotechnology
2016-2019
University of Munster - Germany
Bachelor of Biological Sciences
In collaboration with Prof. Devang Mehta
Luka Verhaeren
2022-2024
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2019-2022
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Kun Dai
2022-2025
Chinese Academy of Sciences - China
Master in Science - Botany
2018-2022
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine- China
Bachelor in Science - Biotechnology
Amélie Vandamme
2024-2026
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Biochemistry
2021-2024
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Biochemistry
Emanuela (Emi) Centra
2024-2026
University of Parma- Italy
Master in Computer Science
2017-2020
Politecnico of Turin - Italy
Bachelor in Electronic Engineering
In collaboration with Prof. Maarten De Vos
MASTER STUDENTS
EDUCATION
Sofie Denoulet
2024-2026
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2020-2024
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Fran Renders
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2021-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Joren Vanlommel
2025-2027
University of Antwerp- Belgium
Master in product development
2022-2025
University of Antwerp- Belgium
Bachelor in product development
Jolien Van Aelst
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Biology
2022-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Biology
Yme Lenssens
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2022-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Kobe Aerts
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2022-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Matthias Bouquet
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2022-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Imane Fath Allah
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2023-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Biology
Charlotte Feyen
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2022-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Marie-Bénédicte Coppieters 't Wallant
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2022-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Marie Van de Mosselaer
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2022-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
Irene Sneyers
2025-2027
University of Leuven - Belgium
Master in Bioscience Engineering
2022-2025
University of Leuven - Belgium
Bachelor in Bioscience Engineering
PAST MEMBERS
PhD students
2021: Dr. Maarten Houben, Dr. Prisca Meyer, Dr. Hanne Claessen
2023: Dr. Batist Geldhof
2023: Dr. Petar Mohorović, Kryss Facun
2024: Dr. Thomas Reher
2025: Dr. Isabel De Jaegere, Dr. Jolien Pattyn
2026: Dr. Laurien Volkaert
Postdocs
2020-2022: Dr. Wangshu Mou (now assistant professor at Hangzhou Normal University - China)
2020-2021: Dr. Dongdong Li (now assistant professor at Zhejiang University - China)
2022-2024: Dr. Prisca Meyer
2023-2025: Dr. Jiawen Chen
Visiting PhD's and postdocs
2025: Lijuan Ju (Nanjing Agricultural University - China)
Researchers
2018-2019: Yannah Cornelis (KU Leuven)
Master students
2016-2017: Ans Van der Vaet (KU Leuven)
2017-2018: Vickey Everaerts (KU Leuven), Bob Foubert (KU Leuven)
2018-2019: Anke Vandenplas (KU Leuven), Jolien Pattyn (KU Leuven), Jonas Ryckers (KU Leuven), Karlien Van den Broeck (KU Leuven), Sarah Van Hee (KU Leuven), Diego Sainz Garcia (University of Salamanca, Spain)
2019-2020: Rabea Hanifa (VUB Brussels), Nicolas Boey (KU Leuven), Maarten Verlent (KU Leuven), Laurien Volkaert (KU Leuven), Isabel De Jaegere (KU Leuven)
2020-2021: Bram Vangenechten (KU Leuven), Arne Wynants (KU Leuven)
2021-2022: Marilien Rinia (KU Leuven), Jolien Bisschop (KU Leuven), Nel Van Houdt (KU Leuven), Brecht Van Den Steen (KU Leuven)
2022-2023: Yasmin Huyghe (KU Leuven), Jana Mertens (KU Leuven), Niels Eerdekens (KU Leuven), Lennard Gheysels (KU Leuven), Matthijs Geerts Danau (KU Leuven), Jasmine Colemont (KU Leuven)
2023-2024: Caroline Vanhoof (KU Leuven), Hanne Vanwezer (KU Leuven), Nele Bruyndonckx (KU Leuven), Myrthe Lambrechts (KU Leuven), Adriaan Depreitere (KU Leuven), Elif Kabak (KU Leuven), Lorien Quaghebeur (KU Leuven)
2024-2025: Emma Van Ouytsel (KU Leuven), Gijs Swillen (KU Leuven), Ine Goetschalckx (KU Leuven), Sofie Peeters (KU Leuven), Mary Anna Nishiotis (KU Leuven), Michiel Van Gronsvelt (KU Leuven), Mona Verkersschaever (KU Leuven)
2025-2026: Amélie Vandamme (KU Leuven), Silke Rutten (KU Leuven), Boris Tibergijn (KU Leuven), Xander Meeuwesen (KU Leuven), Daan Tuyaerts (KU Leuven), Phoebe Noverico (Radboud University Nijmegen)
Internship students
2017-2018: Pieter-Jan Billen (UCLL), Javier Martin de Prado Garcia (University of Granada, Spain)
2019-2020: Stef Rens (Thomas More)
2020-2021: Elif Kabak (UCLL), Wouter Reyniers (UCLL)
2021-2022: Federico Carrozzo (University of Padua, Italy), Tibo Snoeckx (Thomas More)
2022-2023: Francisco Mejias (La Fontera Univercity, Chile)
2025-2026: Ela Suiçmez (Bilkent University Ankara, Turkey), Abdelaziz Elkhalil (IAV HASSAN II, Morocco)
Lab technicians
2016-2022: Veerle Verdoodt (retired)
2020-2022: Stijn Roden
2024-2025: Roos Buys
2025-2026: Julia Forgia