prof. Isabelle Hoorens (MD, PhD)
Member of the CRIG steering committee (2026-2028)
Principal investigator – Skin Cancer Research Institute Ghent (SkinCRIG), Ghent University Hospital (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UGent)
Dermatologist – Department of Dermatology (University Hospital Ghent)
President of the European Society of Skin Cancer Prevention (Euroskin)
Research focus
Our clinical and translational research focuses on optimizing the care of patients with keratinocyte skin cancer and melanoma, with particular attention to quality-of-life outcomes, cost-effectiveness of care pathways, and the implementation of innovative diagnostic technologies, including the non-invasive reflectance confocal microscopy and artificial intelligence-assisted imaging. Through prospective clinical studies and health services research, we aim to develop evidence-based, patient-centred strategies for skin cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. In parallel, our group conducts fundamental research into the biological mechanisms that drive skin cancer development and treatment response. Dr. Robin Demuynck investigates immunogenic cell death (ICD) in melanoma, focusing on how the tumour microenvironment modulates anti-tumour immune responses. His work explores the mechanisms through which endothelial cells activate the immune system, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic strategies that overcome tumour resistance to immunogenic forms of cell death. In the field of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), in a multidisciplinary collaboration with the group of Prof. Jimmy Van den Eynden, Eden Pappaert investigates the genomic evolution from normal UV-exposed skin to actinic keratosis and eventually invasive cSCC. Using advanced spatial omics approaches on human tissues from whole-body donors and skin cancer patients, her research focuses on mutant clonal competition and the genomic factors that drive early skin carcinogenesis. These studies aim to improve our understanding of the earliest events in cSCC development and identify opportunities for early intervention.
Research team
- prof. Lieve Brochez (MD, PhD)
- dr. Robin Demuynck (PhD) - post-doctoral researcher
- Annick Meertens - doctoral fellow
- dr. Laura Van Coile (MD) – doctoral fellow
- dr. Floor Verstraete (MD) – doctoral fellow
- dr. Julie Kips (MD) - doctoral fellow
- Eden Pappaert - doctoral fellow
- Amber Shen - research assistant