I am a PhD student in Oliver Billker’s malaria research group, where my project focuses on conducting genome-wide genetic screens in the ookinete stage of Plasmodium berghei development.
My academic journey began at the University KU Leuven, where I graduated with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in biomedical sciences, focusing on basic and translational research. Through these studies, I became fascinated by the potential of genome-wide genetic screens to uncover gene functions and essential factors that help shape cellular processes and identities.
Motivated by this interest, I joined Oliver Billker lab as a PhD student in November 2025. The lab’s primary goal is to unravel the biology of Plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria.
To explore the hidden biology of these parasites, the lab applies genome-scale genetic screens in Plasmodium berghei, a rodent malaria parasite that can be safely and easily studied throughout its full life cycle. These approaches enable an unbiased investigation of thousands of genes in parallel, providing new insights into parasite development, parasite–host/mosquito interactions, and potential targets for drugs and vaccines.
Within this framework, my PhD project focuses on the mosquito transmission stages of the Plasmodium berghei parasite, particularly the ookinete, where I aim to identify and characterize genes essential for parasite survival and transmission.