Saar Vermijs

The aim of this research is to optimize and personalize the treatment of patients suffering from kidney cancer. Whenever possible, these patients are treated by tumour resection, preferably using minimal invasive robotic surgery. When the tumour is rather small, only the tumour is resected during a so-called partial nephrectomy procedure. However, when the tumour is too large or the case is too complex, the entire kidney is removed to minimize the risks for the patient during the surgery. This implicates that the patient not only loses the tumour, but also the functionality of the healthy tissue still present in the affected kidney.
Our goal is to minimize this loss, by preoperatively modelling kidney perfusion. For this, we are developing state-of-the-art patient-specific treatment planning tools. This way, we want to provide all possible knowledge about the patient’s case in order to guide the surgeon towards the choice for a partial nephrectomy procedure, without compromising on the safety for the patient. 
 

I received the degree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 2018 (UGent – with distinction) and the interuniversity degree of Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering in 2020 (UGent-VUB – with greatest distinction).
In October 2020, I started an interdisciplinary PhD between the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, in which I can pursue my passion for medical technology. 
 

• Lab address: IBiTech-BioMMedA, Department of Electronics and Information Systems (Ghent University), campus UZ Gent, C. Heymanslaan 10, The Core, ingang 37, 9000 Gent, Belgium
• IBiTech-BioMMedA 
• UGent Research Group Urology 
• Saar Vermijs is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks