dr. Paul Collins (PhD)

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become the leading liver disease worldwide, driven by rising obesity rates. MASLD significantly increases the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer. As a member of the lab of Charlotte Scott at VIB-UGent, Paul is investigating the contribution of resident and recruited macrophages to MASLD-HCC progression. Mice are fed a high-calorie diet to mirror the complete disease trajectory of MASLD from hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) to fibrosis (scarring) and HCC. By combining cutting-edge single-cell and spatial approaches with more conventional immunology techniques like flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, we are understanding how Kupffer cells, the liver’s predominant tissue-resident macrophage population, behave differently across disease stages. This work is also illuminating the evolving spatial and temporal interactions between Kupffer cells and other cell types of the liver to appreciate their relevance in cancer formation and progression.
 

• Lab address: VIB-UGent, Center for Inflammation Research, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
• Charlotte Scott Lab
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