prof. Tim Lammens (PhD)
Principal investigator – Lab for pediatric hematology-oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent
Associate professor (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UGent)
Laboratory supervisor – Lab for asparaginase monitoring, Ghent
Research focus
Our group`s research program focuses on identification of targeted therapeutic strategies for pediatric cancers and optimization of existing therapies via (1) thorough investigation of molecular signaling networks in pediatric AML, ALL and JMML, (2) preclinical testing of nanobody-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy for AML, (3) introduction of prognostic biomarkers in the standard-of-care treatment of pediatric AML and neuroblastoma, (4) preclinical and clinical evaluation of a novel less-toxic asparaginase formulation in the treatment of pediatric ALL. Our lab has substantial expertise in assay development (cell-free DNA/RNA diagnostics, asparaginase activity), omics technologies and data-integration, CAR T cell immunotherapies in AML, AML and ALL patient-derived xenograft models and biomarker discovery.
Biography
SCIENTIFIC DEGREES
- 2003: Msc. Industrial engineering biochemistry
- 2004: Msc. Molecular biotechnology
- 2009: PhD molecular biotechnology
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
- 2004-2009: PhD student, Ghent University
- 2009-present: postdoctoral fellow, Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Ghent University
- 2015-2020: assistant professor, Ghent University
- 2020-present: associate professor, Ghent University
MEMBERSHIPS
- Member of BSPHO, SIOP, BHS, EWOG-MDS, EORTC-CLG, I-BFM AML, IntReALL and SIOPE Host Genome working groups
- Chair of Molecular Monitoring Committee SIOPEN
- Member of Scientific Translational Committee SIOPEN
- Member of Working Group on Preclinical and Translational Research for CHIP-AML21
- Chair of the Biobanking Committee Alltogether study
- Member of the Biology Committee Interfant
Research team
- prof. Tim Lammens – principal investigator
- dr. Liselot M. Mus (PhD) - TEARDRoP Oncology Coordinator & NB PDX manager
- dr. Mattias Hofmans (MD, PhD) – post-doctoral fellow
- dr. Laurens Van Camp (MD) – doctoral fellow
- dr. Charlotte Derpoorter (PhD) – post-doctoral fellow
- Jolien Vanhooren – doctoral fellow
- dr. Zhiyao Ren (MD) – doctoral fellow
- dr. Alexandra Reekmans (MD) - doctoral fellow
- Jolien De Waele - doctoral fellow
- Fran Leijnen – doctoral fellow
- Lotte Ulrix – doctoral fellow
- Inge D`Hont – technician
- Martijn de Jong – technician
- Larissa Deneweth – technician
- Eva Terras – technician
- Zina Van Imschoot – technician
- Katrien Vandemeulebroecke – research assistent
- dr. Sylvie De Buck (PhD) – management assistant research
Key publications
- `Involvement of THBS1 in myeloid sarcoma of acute myeloid leukemia.` Leuk Res. 2025 (PMID: 40561851)
- `Exploring germline variants in genes associated with inborn errors of immunity and inherited bone marrow failure syndromes in pediatric hematological malignancies.` Eur J Cancer. 2025 (PMID: 40633199)
- `HNRNPC and m6A RNA methylation control oncogenic transcription and metabolism in T-cell leukemia.` Blood. 2025 (PMID: 40435411)
- `Nidogen-1, a Player in KMT2A-Rearranged Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia.` Int J Mol Sci. 2025 (PMID: 40243655)
- `A 69 long noncoding RNA signature predicts relapse and acts as independent prognostic factor in pediatric AML.` Blood Adv. 2024 (PMID: 38640434)
- `A human-like glutaminase-free asparaginase is highly efficacious in ASNSlow leukemia and solid cancer mouse xenograft models.` Cancer Lett. 2024 (PMID: 39709177)
- `The feasibility of using liquid biopsies as a complementary assay for copy number aberration profiling in routinely collected paediatric cancer patient samples.` Eur J Cancer. 2022 (PMID: 34794856)
- `CircRNAs Dysregulated in Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia: CircMCTP1 Stands Out.` Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 (PMID: 33490078)
- `Clinical Significance of TARP Expression in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia.` Hemasphere. 2020 (PMID: 323096783)
- `Prospective, real-time monitoring of pegylated Escherichia coli and Erwinia asparaginase therapy in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Belgium.` Br J Haematol. 2020 (PMID: 32057100)
Contact & links
- Address: Campus UZ Gent, entrance 10, route 1034, 9000 Gent (secretariaat Pediatrische Hematologie-Oncologie)
- PHO Research Lab Ghent
- X (former Twitter)
- Belgian Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology
- LEGEND
- Tim Lammens is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks