"To have your personal ambitions match your professional goals - I think that is quite rare!"

What inspired you to become a researcher?

My journey into research began when I enrolled in the Control of Infectious Diseases master’s programme at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in 2006. I discovered a passion for exploring new concepts and finding answers to complex questions. Despite having lived in London since 2000, it was during my studies that I truly felt at home in the city. In 2009, I started working as a project manager and research assistant at LSHTM.

Were you always in public health?

Not really. I first obtained a degree in pharmacology, but while completing this degree I quickly realised the laboratory environment wasn’t the best fit for me. While I find the intricacies of how drugs work in the human body fascinating, I found myself forgetting that we were talking about people when discussing things like action potentials. After this I worked as an Editor. It was only later, with my studies at LSHTM, that I entered the public health sphere. It was during this period that I learnt about HIV in more detail - a tiny virus with huge social consequences! It piqued my interest immediately.

You started at ITM in 2022. Did your research focus shift over the years?

Initially, my research at LSHTM primarily centered on HIV testing, particularly the disparity in testing coverage between men and women in Southern African countries, notably Zambia, where I primarily work. While women are often offered HIV testing services during antenatal care or routine health facility visits, men generally don’t have the same opportunities to test for HIV. I pursued a PhD to explore the social determinants that shape men’s access to HIV testing and identifying strategies that could encourage men to test for HIV.

However, my interests quickly expanded beyond HIV testing to exploring strategies to improve access to broader sexual health services. I have a keen interest in the social determinants of vulnerability to STIs, beyond HIV, and how we can achieve universal coverage of sexual health services. We see a lot of inequalities in terms of who is at risk of HIV or other STIs. How can we address those?

Additionally, my focus extended from a research focus on men to adolescents and young people, seeking ways to enhance their access to sexual and reproductive health services. Adolescents and young people are a diverse group with unique needs. Part of my research aims to understand who, within this group, could benefit from access to SRH services and how we can reach them with such services.

Why did you join ITM?

I was already familiar with ITM because of its longstanding history and involvement in the field of HIV. To be honest, I often kept an eye on the ITM website for suitable job openings as I was keen to move back to Belgium (I lived here as an adolescent). When the opportunity to lead the Sexual Health Unit came up, it was like a dream come true. To have your personal ambitions match your professional goals - I think that is quite rare!

What are your impressions so far?

Taking into account that ITM is smaller than LSHTM, there’s a lot of impressive research going on. What intrigues me particularly is the collaboration between the clinic and the research team, and how they generate a lot of important evidence that has an impact on policy.

The teaching aspect is equally impressive. The teachers are excellent and the diverse student group inspiring. I’m leading the short course Design and Evaluation of Health Programmes, which I inherited from Marie Laga and is a topic that I also taught on previously. It’s rewarding to see students develop their skills in evaluation, but also to get to know them personally, and keep in touch once they’ve completed their studies. When I mentioned to a friend, who completed the MPH at ITM, that I’d be working at the institute, he told me of the opportunities to form personal connections with the students and staff. I’ve found that aspect truly special and quite unique.

What are your goals for the coming years?

In terms of research, the Unit has a great team, with lot of ideas and a lot of proposals in the pipeline. With the end of the FWO SBO-funded PROMISE PrEP project, we are submitting two FWO proposals to continue the important research on PrEP in Belgium.

Furthermore, I’m fortunate to continue my work with my partner Zambart in Zambia, with whom I’ve worked since 2009. We received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct an STI prevalence survey among youth aged 15 to 24 in Zambia. This study is being led by Zambart and in collaboration with LSHTM. ITM will support the epidemiology and capacity strengthening of Zambart’s lab team to diagnose STIs, which is led by ITM researchers Irith De Baetselier and Vicky Cuylaerts. This study is important because there is little data on the burden of STIs amongst young people. The findings will help inform and advocate for strategies to improve access to STI diagnostic and treatment services among youth in Zambia. We also have an FWO TBM project on injectable PrEP in Belgium, a study evaluating community-led responses to HIV in Europe, and a study with partners in Burkina Faso to explore ways to improve access to PrEP among female sex workers.

It feels great to expand my work in Belgium and collaborate with partners beyond Zambia. There are a lot of exciting things ahead!