Research expertise

Idzi Potters holds a professional degree in (bio)chemistry (1997) and in biomedical laboratory technology (2017). He holds a certificate of specialization in helminthology and protozoology (2001) and can draw on more than 25 years of experience in an L2 reference laboratory, working as a laboratory technician in the Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. He is actively involved in the diagnosis of intestinal parasites, tissue parasites and blood parasites, but he also trains other professionals in postgraduate and master courses and gives parasitology courses to medical students at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. 

Idzi has experience with capacity exchange abroad, setting up a laboratory for schistosomiasis diagnosis in Richard-Toll, Senegal, including training and quality assurance aspects, and giving in-depth training on several malaria diagnosis aspects in Kisantu, DRC (including advanced microscopy, staining principles, quality assurance, use of microscope-cameras, microscope maintenance, …) with a focus on knowledge transfer to peers (“training the trainers”).

Idzi is a member of the cross-cutting subgroup on clinical diagnosis, imaging and microscopy of the World Health Organization (WHO) Diagnostic and Technical Advisory Group (DTAG) for Neglected Tropical Diseases and is also a member of the ESCMID clinical parasitology study group. He has also organized, chaired and spoken at various parasitology workshops and conferences. He co-authored the second edition of the “WHO Bench Aids for the Diagnosis of Intestinal Parasites” (2019), providing most of the microphotographs and assisting with the text and layout of the document. He is first author of the chapter "Reagents, Stains and Media: Parasitology" in the "Manual of Clinical Microbiology - 13th Edition" (ASM Press), and published several case reports of uncommon parasites as first author in high-impact journals, like Emerging Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, and Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

Teaching expertise

Practical teaching (taught in English and French) in postgraduate and master's courses for the Institute of Tropical Medicine:

• TMCDM
• CIH
• IntroMED
• MTM
• MScGOH

Annually organize and give a two-day workshop "Intestinal parasitology" for the Institute of Tropical Medicine, given in Dutch and in French.

Introduction of parasitology (theoretical class "Build and function of parasites") to medical students of the University of Antwerp.

Thorough knowledge of Articulate 360 for creating Rise e-learning modules for "blended teaching" / "flipping the classroom". Already created many modules (English and French) that were very well rated by end users.

Services expertise

More than 25 years of experience in a renowned L2-reference laboratory: Clinical Reference Laboratory of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Diagnostics of:

• intestinal parasites
• blood parasites
• tissue parasites
• ectoparasites

Experience with capacity exchange in:

• Senegal (Richard-Toll)
• Democratic Republic of Congo (Kisantu)

Member of WHO advisory group: WHO DTAG for NTDs - cross-cutting subgroup on Clinical Diagnosis, Imaging and Microscopy.

Member of ESCMID clinical parasitology study group (ESGCP).