Pure input

Koen Vercauteren obtained an MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences (2010, Ghent University, Belgium), a PhD in pre-clinical viral hepatitis research (2014, Ghent University hospital, Belgium, Promoted by Profs. Philip Meuleman and Geert Leroux-Roels), continued his academic track on a BAEF post-doctoral scholarship in pre-clinical viral hepatitis research and viral vectors for gene therapy (2014-2016, Rockefeller University, NYC, USA, Charles M. Rice lab, 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine recipient). Then, he graduated the clinical specialty programme in laboratory medicine (clinical chemistry, haematology, and microbiology) (2016-2019, Ghent University hospital, Belgium).

Since 2019, he is a professor at ITM, head of the clinical virology unit and clinical biologist at the ITM clinical reference lab. The clinical virology lab (co-)hosts 2 laboratory technicians, 2 PhD students (1 on a pre-doctoral FWO mandate), 1 postdoctoral researcher, and has promoted an MSc in tropical medicine and MSc in public health. He has (co-)authored 33 (13 of which as first author) peer reviewed papers in the field of viral hepatitis, viral vectors for gene therapy and laboratory medicine (1147 citations). His current research focusses on (viral) infectious disease laboratory medicine.

Research interests

• Designing T-cell receptor sequencing (TCRseq)-based diagnostic assays and biomarkers
• Developing molecular techniques for broad detection of tropical viral pathogens (metagenomic next-generation sequencing).
• Evaluating Point of Care testing methods (Antigen rapid diagnostic tests as well as nucleic acid detection principles) for use in low-and-middle-income countries (examples: SARS-CoV-2, viral hemorrhagic fevers)

Teaching

• ITM PhD commission member (2022-)
• PhD supervision
• MSc supervision (Tropical Medicine, Public Health, Global One-Health)