Ingrid Bijsmans Email & Phone Number

Amsterdam, Nh, Nl

NL CMDh alternate member- Coordination Group for Mutual Recognition and Decentralised Procedures -

Utrecht En Omgeving, Nederland

Utrecht Area, Netherlands

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation. Current treatment options reduce pro-inflammatory responses, but are accompanied by severe side effects and treatment failure. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is the nuclear receptor implicated in bile salt, glucose and cholesterol homeostasis. Activation of FXR has been shown to reduce intestinal inflammation. Full activation of FXR leads to a complex response, affecting the expression of many genes involved in metabolic and anti-inflammatory regulation. We hypothesize that selective FXR agonists which repress inflammation (transrepression), but do not interfere with the metabolic capacity (transactivation) of FXR, are novel therapeutic agents for IBD. I have set up an automated luciferase assay to screen large chemical libraries to identify compounds which have the potential to modulate FXR function.

Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women with gynecologic malignancies. The high mortality is related to the fact that in most cases the disease has already spread to the upper abdomen at time of presentation. We analyzed serous borderline tumors (SBTs) and carcinomas (SCAs). Since the distinction is important from a clinical point of view as both patient management and prognosis differ considerably, it is important to unravel the biology underlying the development of these tumors.By using immunohistochemical and molecular biological techniques we were able to better classify the tumors and help to diagnose the tumors correctly. We identified several markers able to distinguish between SBTs and SCAs. These markers, which have undergone genetic or epigenetic changes, are mainly involved in invasion.Eventually, knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in serous ovarian carcinogenesis will lead to the identification of markers that can be used to select patients likely to benefit from different treatment strategies.

Msc, Oncology, Molecular Biology

Internship at VUmc , Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; 2004 Title thesis: Methylation of genes.

Bachelor, Molecular Biology

Internship at the Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, Oregon, USA; September 2002 until June 2003 Title thesis.