Just over two years since the lab was established in October 2021, the research group of Prof. Lies De Groef has the wind in its sails. Two doctoral students have recently been awarded a competitive four-year FWO fellowship to support their projects. Laura Raes (left on photo) and Yasmin Dahdouh-Guebas discuss their research ambitions and share some peculiar aspects of their PhD life.

The eye as a window to the brain

“The unifying theme of our lab is exploring the concept of ‘the eye as a window to the brain’,” explains Laura. “What can eye measurements tell us about neurodegenerative diseases? How might they improve screening and diagnosis?”. Several research lines in the lab are centered around these questions.

Retinal imaging as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease

As a part of the ADMIRE team, Yasmin’s work focuses on retinal imaging to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. “Current diagnostic tools are expensive, not available for everyone, and only informative at more advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. The scientific community is constantly looking for new methods to allow an earlier, effective, and more affordable diagnosis. We believe imaging of the eye can contribute to this, since the typical manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease, including amyloid and tau protein deposits, are present in the retina. By capturing a detailed image of the retina and applying hyperspectral filters, we can detect for instance these hallmark protein accumulations.”

“We are part of a large consortium of academic and industry partners, and we’re doing both preclinical and clinical studies. In my PhD project, I am investigating the specific hyperspectral signatures of amyloid aggregates – both monomers and oligomeric forms – in cellular and mouse models. We hope to find early predictive signatures that point specifically to Alzheimer’s disease. As biomarkers, these would not only be useful for diagnosis, but also offer a new tool to recruit specific participants for clinical trials and to monitor disease progression over time.”

In search of vesicle biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease

Laura’s project focuses on neuro-inflammation in the context of Parkinson’s disease. “I specifically look at extracellular vesicles – these are tiny particles released from nerve cells for communication, both over short and long distances. These vesicles were discovered not that long ago and today form a booming research field. The discovery that extracellular vesicles are carriers of specific microRNA’s reflect the important roles they can play and opened new avenues in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.”

“In my PhD project, I’m using a toxin-induced mouse model for neuro-inflammation and look at microRNA expression in the extracellular vesicles released in the eye,” Laura continues. “Given that neuro-inflammation is a known phenomenon in Parkinson’s disease and that our mouse model shows similar symptoms, we are hopeful that these vesicles will point us to new biomarkers for early diagnosis of Parkinson’s. Their potential as biomarkers is high, since they can be easily collected from blood or even tear fluids. What’s even more exciting: we know that the vesicles can cross the blood-brain barrier and that they may have therapeutic applications in modified form.”

Big Brain Band

When they’re not busy doing experiments, Laura and Yasmin can be found in the rehearsing room, practicing for their next gig with the ‘Big Brain Band’ comprising researchers from the Leuven Brain Institute. “I’m one of the pianists, and Yasmin is our vocalist,” says Laura. “And our colleague Cristiano is also part of the band. So yes, we’re quite the musical lab,” Yasmin laughs. “The lineup of the Big Brain Band varies regularly, as not everyone is always available, but with enough rehearsals, it always turns out well. And we have a lot of fun!”

CURE-ND workshop

The two are also involved in another side project: they are helping to organize the next CURE-ND workshop for early-career researchers. Laura: “I had wanted to become part of the organizing committee for last year’s edition and am very glad to have made it this time! Together with two other Leuven-based researchers and several European colleagues from Germany, France and the UK, we are giving shape to the program. Expect a mix of high-level scientific talks and posters, group discussions and sessions on mental health and career advice.”

Yasmin: “It promises to be another fantastic edition where young researchers get a unique opportunity to meet each other and exchange experiences about all aspects of research life. We hope of course that this initiative will be an inspiration to all participants and that it will pave the way for exciting new research collaborations and exchanges.”

More info

• Visit the website of the De Groef lab
• Listen to the Big Brain Band in the aftermovie of Breinfestijn 2023