At LUMICKS, my job as a scientist involves creating datasets that establish cell binding avidity as a crucial biomarker for choosing the most effective immunotherapy for clinical trials. To achieve this, I have successfully developed various immunological assays in-house, which use both adaptive and innate immune cells to link cellular avidity with the fitness and effectiveness of T cells. Additionally, I collaborate with external KOLs to gather data that demonstrates the importance of cell binding avidity in selecting potent immunotherapies for pre-clinical and clinical studies. This responsibility encompasses analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data to both internal and external partners.

During my time at Arens' lab, my research focused on enhancing cancer immunotherapy through the optimization of tumor-specific CD8 T cell attack. The study utilized both in-vivo and ex-vivo systems to investigate the expansion, characteristics, metabolic activities, and functional profile of CD8 T-cells that were specific to tumors in mice and humans. By examining the critical signals necessary for T-cell programming, the findings could aid in developing effective immunomodulatory techniques to boost the efficiency of anti-tumor treatments.Key achievements:- Published scientific peer-reviewed papers- Reviewer of peer-review journals (incl. JITC)- Setup and currently running experimental design to study metabolism of T cells- Supervised associate scientist

The core objective of my PhD research was to investigate how lymph node stromal cells (LNSCs) influence the adaptive immune system by presenting antigens. Through the use of sophisticated in-vivo mouse models and analysis of human biopsies, we were able to demonstrate that LNSCs play a vital role in inducing antigen-specific T regulatory cells. These cells help to prevent the formation of T follicular helper cells and germinal center B cell responses that target self-antigens. Our study highlights an exceptional ability of LNSCs to prevent the early activation of autoreactive immune cells, promoting peripheral tolerance.Key achievements:- Published scientific peer-reviewed papers- Invited speaker for international lecture- Organizer of first Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity PhD retreat- Presented data at international meetings- Successfully designed and applied multiple in vitro and in vivo experiment.- Setup and generation multiple cell lines and mouse model to study antigen presentation by lymph node stromal cells.- Best poster awards at European Network of Immunology Institutes (ENII) summer school and European Congress of Immunology (ECI)- Supervised MSc. Students (Internship & literature thesis)

Our project focused on examining the role of dermatan sulfate proteoglycans in regulating the adaptive immune response by influencing the collagen structure in skin. Through our study using a transgenic mouse model, we demonstrated that when collagen fibrillogenesis is altered, there is an increase in the thickness of collagen fibers in the skin. As a result, dendritic cell migration to the draining lymph node is reduced when the immune system is challenged, leading to a decrease in both cellular and humoral immune responses in these mice.