dr. Lien Lippens (PhD)

CRIG member
Lien Lippens


Postdoctoral researcher – Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, UGent, Fac. of Medicine and Health Sciences
Principal investigator: prof. An Hendrix (PhD)

 

Research focus

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) transfer lipids, membrane-associated as well as intraluminal proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites influencing various physiological and pathological functions. EVs can transfer information from cancer cells to neighboring cancer cells and host cells, but EVs can also reach the blood stream and transfer the information to more distant cells in for example other organs. EVs are therefore important mediators of invasive growth and metastasis development. I am investigating the diagnostic and prognostic biomarker potential of EVs and the different mechanisms of EV biogenesis.
 

Biography

I successfully achieved the grade of Master in Bioscience Engineering, Cell and Gene Biotechnology in 2016. During my masters I had the opportunity to perform research at the Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research (LECR). This research resulted in a master thesis obtained with great distinction. Subsequently I performed a PhD at the LECR which I successfully defended in July 2022. My PhD titled “Biomarkers in gynecological cancer: the potential of tumor infiltrating immune cells and circulating extracellular vesicles” demonstrated the biomarker potential of the intratumoral immune cell landscape in cervical cancer patients, as well as the biomarker potential of EVs in blood plasma samples of cervical and endometrial cancer patients treated with immunotherapy and radiotherapy. During my PhD I was granted an ISEV young investigator scholarship and an Emmanuel van der Schueren research grant by Kom Op Tegen Kanker. In June 2022, I obtained an FWO junior postdoc grant. 
 

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