Léo Baland

My research focuses on using advanced microscopy to study how light-triggered nanomedicines escape from endosomes in different cell types. The goal is to identify the main roadblocks that limit their intracellular delivery and to understand how these nanomedicines can be engineered to overcome them. This work aims to advance the design of more efficient systems for cell engineering, such as CAR-T cell development, and for in vivo gene therapy using mRNA, plasmid DNA, or CRISPR-Cas9.
 

Léo Baland earned a Bachelor’s degree in General Biology from the University of Mons, followed by a Master’s in Biotechnology at the University of Lille, France, with a focus on advanced biotechnological approaches. During his studies, he investigated how the tumor microenvironment influences radiotherapy resistance in Diffuse Midline Glioma, a rare pediatric brain cancer. His master’s thesis explored the impact of the microenvironment on the metabolic pathways of DMG cells, deepening his interest in cancer biology and cellular mechanisms. He later joined Kevin Braeckmans’ research group as a PhD fellow, where he now studies light-triggered endosomal escape of nanoparticles, contributing to the development of innovative drug delivery strategies.
 

• Lab address : Lab. General Biochemistry & Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000 Gent, Belgium
• Lab. General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy
• Léo Baland is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks