Despoina Voulgari

Approximately 90% of primary liver tumors are hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is now recognized as the leading cause of HCC resulting from the global prevalence of obesity. Nevertheless, the specific cellular drivers involved in the transition from MASLD to HCC, only in a subset of patients, have remained unclear, making early risk identification and the design of targeted therapies difficult.
My PhD project therefore aims to provide insights into the longitudinal cellular and spatial landscapes responsible for the development of MASLD HCC. To investigate this, we are utilizing a multiomics approach combining single nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) and spatial transcriptomics. The study leverages both clinical patient cohorts and highly controlled preclinical models collected across the entire evolutionary spectrum of disease progression from healthy tissue, through MASLD and MASH, to established HCC. Computational workflows will map cellular interactions and spatial niches, complemented by additional multi omic datasets. Using high resolution single cell and spatial analysis, this research aims to uncover key cellular pathways responsible for disease progression. This project ultimately hopes to find new biomarkers and targets that can be used to stop the development of HCC.
 

I am a PhD Researcher in Bioinformatics at Ghent University, based at the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research (IRC) in the Laboratory of Myeloid Cell Biology led by Prof. Charlotte Scott. 
My doctoral research focuses on mapping the progression from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), aiming to uncover the cellular mechanisms driving this transition and identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. My expertise sits at the intersection of computational biology and cancer genomics, with a focus on translating large-scale biological data into clinically meaningful insights. I bring hands-on experience in Python, R, and machine learning, combined with a solid wet-lab background in cancer molecular biology, including prior research on neuroblastoma regulation, biomarker discovery, and triple-negative breast cancer persistence. I am highly passionate about multi-omics, drug discovery, and precision medicine, and I am always open to connecting with researchers working on cancer genomics, computational oncology, or diagnostic biomarker discovery.
 

• Lab address: VIB-UGent, Center for Inflammation Research, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
• Charlotte Scott Lab
• VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research 
• Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology UGent 
• LinkedIn 
• ORCID 
• Despoina Voulgari is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks