I’m primarily a development biologist trying to understand the intricacies of vascular development, and more specifically, lymphatic vessel development. Throughout my young academic career, I’ve had a particular fondness for developmental biology and the questions that can be answered using the zebrafish model. In my Master’s (Marcel Schaaf, Leiden University) I had the pleasure of using this teleost system to develop a novel glucocorticoid drug against autoimmune diseases with the aim of inflammation-specific activation of the drug. A second stint at Leiden University (Laura Heitman, LACDR) saw me establish and characterize the molecular dynamic potential of a novel cannabinoid drug against autoimmune diseases.  Currently, I’m working as a PhD candidate in the group of Stefan Schulte-Merker (CiM-IMPRS, Muenster, Germany) where I’m trying to decode the various players involved in lymphangiogenesis. My ongoing project is a full-circle moment in my research career because I’m trying to unlock key players in vessel development which can help increase our fundamental knowledge about development as well as further optimize future therapeutic approaches.

As someone who stays up to date with the latest scientific trends, I believe pre-prints have the power to democratize the academic structure. Pre-prints encourage productive scientific debate, which is the bedrock of a healthy scientific community while ensuring equal access to all. What I bring to the table is expertise regarding the latest biological trends in various fields including – zebrafish research, vascular biology, lymphatic biology, and developmental biology.