Zina Van Imschoot

High-risk neuroblastoma causes around 15% of childhood cancer deaths, and current therapies often fail when the disease relapses. Monitoring relapse and treatment response is vital, but today’s standard methods—imaging and bone marrow tests—are invasive, costly, and difficult for children and families. There is an urgent need for more sensitive and less burdensome approaches.

As part of the MONALISA project, coordinated by SIOPE and led by St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute together with the Princess Máxima Center, I will contribute to testing liquid biopsies as a new monitoring method. This minimally invasive technique can detect tumor markers in blood, allowing earlier relapse detection, reducing unnecessary procedures, and supporting more personalized treatment decisions. Our shared goal is to improve survival and quality of life for children with relapsed neuroblastoma, while laying the groundwork for liquid biopsies to become standard care in pediatric oncology.
 

I obtained a Bachelor in Medical Laboratory Technology (HoGent, 2022). A year later, I completed a Postgraduate in Forensic Investigation (Erasmushogeschool Brussel, 2023). In 2024, I also obtained a Bachelor in Pharmaceutical Laboratory Technology (HoGent).
As of January 2025, I’m a cancer research technician at the Lab for Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. I have experience in isolation of mononuclear cells from peripheral blood and bone marrow, nucleic acid extractions from tissues and body fluids, RT-qPCR, reverse transcription and ELISA.
 

• Lab address: Laboratory for Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, entrance 10 (route 1034), Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent
• Lab for Pediatric Hematology-Oncology (PHO) UZ Gent
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• ORCID ID     
• Involved in Biobank of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology