Sofie Meulewaeter
PhD fellow – Laboratory of general Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy
Principal Investigator: dr. Ine Lentacker (PhD)
Research focus
Cancer vaccination aims at generating a specific immune response against tumor antigens. Our group developed an mRNA-LNP vaccine termed Galsomes: lipid nanoparticles incorporating modified antigen-encoding mRNA and the glycolipid antien α-galactosylceramide. Uptake of Galsomes by dendritic cells generates a multifaceted immune response which is able to attack the tumor on multiple fronts. Sofie’s research focuses on the clinical translation of the Galsome platform.
Biography
Sofie Meulewaeter obtained the degree of Master in Chemical Engineering Technology at KU Leuven in 2015. Subsequently, she started studying Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ghent University and graduated in 2019. She performed her master’s thesis in 2018 at the Laboratory of Gene Therapy (prof. Niek Sanders), title: ‘Exploration of the variables of electroporation for the transfection of a macrophage cell line’. In August 2019, Sofie started her PhD at the Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy (FWO fellowship strategic basic research) under supervision of dr. Ine Lentacker.
Key publications
- Continuous freeze-drying of messenger RNA lipid nanoparticles enables storage at higher temperatures. Journal of Controlled Release, 2023. (PMID: 36958400)
Contact & links
- Lab address: Campus Heymans, Ottergemse Steenweg 460, 9000 Gent, Belgium
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy
- Sofie Meulewaeter is interested to receive invitations for talks and presentations