Nick de Vrij

I am a PhD fellow at the Clinical Immunology unit of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp and the Adrem Data Lab of the UAntwerp. Here, I focus on the T cell-driven immunity observed in leishmaniasis, and the entire process of T cell antigen presentation and recognition. By coupling high-throughput and high-resolution wet lab techniques with bioinformatics, I generate insights on pMHC-TCR interactions in leishmaniasis. During my PhD, I have gained ample experience in single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing data analysis, and mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics. Moreover, I set up a Human Leukocyte Antigen sequencing pipeline, using Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencers. In the context of capacity building, I implemented this pipeline at the University of Gondar in Ethiopia, and trained several local researchers to perform this routinely.