Lien Van Hoecke

As a postdoctoral researcher trained in immunology, I am driven by a deep curiosity about harnessing the immune system to combat hard-to-treat diseases. During my PhD, I joined the Molecular Immunology lab to strengthen my foundation in immunology. Later, I shifted my focus to onco-immunotherapy, exploring how to leverage the immune system to fight cancer. In this work, I developed an mRNA-based therapy designed to elicit CD8 T cell immunity specifically against cancer cells.

For my postdoctoral research, I transitioned from oncology to neurodegenerative disorders, joining the Barriers in Inflammation team at the VIB Center for Inflammation Research. My goal is to translate the extensive knowledge gained from onco-immunotherapy to accelerate the development of immune-based treatments for neurodegenerative diseases with a specific focus on Alzheimer’s disease.

To achieve this, I focus on understanding the interplay between immune cells and the central nervous system, both in health and disease, particularly at the brain and its borders. A key aspect of my research is studying immune cells derived from the skull bone marrow, recently identified as an important source of immune cells with distinct properties compared to blood derived immune cells that enter the brain. Using these insights, I aim to rationally design novel therapeutic approaches