Wim Adriaensen

My unit is geared towards the (better) definition of protective T and B cell immunity in Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and (re-)Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs), by means of establishing robust patient immunosurveillance platforms in remote settings. Driven by disease complexity of protozoan infections, we turn to big data immunology and related synergies with artificial intelligence. In the research field of Leishmaniasis in particular, we are focused on understanding the drivers behind the large spectrum of clinical presentations, the robust definition of a protective T cell response, providing a solid basis for antigen selection in vaccine development, and evaluating host-directed therapies. Our patient immunosurveillance platforms are refined for the targeted evaluation of antigen-specific T cell immunity in blood and minimalistic tissue samples op patients to appropriately guide vaccine design and evaluation for vector-borne diseases such as leishmaniasis (and leprosy).