dr. Maaike Vercauteren (PhD)

My research interest lies in studying the role of environmental pollution on environmental and human health and the link with chronic Western-type diseases such as cancer. By applying in silico and in vitro methods, I aim to study the toxicological effects of environmental exposure under relevant physiological conditions and under chronic exposure scenarios. Currently, my work is focused on the toxicological adverse effects upon exposure to micro- and nanoplastic particles. The use of conventional cell culture techniques, 3D setups and co-culture of different cell types are envisaged and combined with in silico computational toxicological approaches such as predictive modeling and adverse outcome pathways. 
This research may improve our understanding of the adverse effects of environmental pollution, e.g. micro- and nanoplastics, upon repeated, long-term exposure. 
 

Maaike Vercauteren obtained her master’s degree at the Faculty of Sciences: Biology (UGent) after which she studied the etiology of skin ulcerations on flatfish populations in the Belgian Part of the North Sea at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UGent). After obtaining her PhD, she started her postdoctoral research track at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering (UGent), focusing on ecotoxicological and toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastic pollution. Currently, she works as a postdoctoral FWO senior fellow at the Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, UGent) in collaboration with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UAntwerp) and Statistical Ecotoxicology research group at the University of Bayreuth. 
 

• Lab address: Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Building B, 3rd floor, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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• Maaike Vercauteren is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks