22 October 2025 Articles

Two ITM junior researchers obtain competitive scholarships by the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO)

Introducing Janne Wouters and Niki Danel

Through the PhD Fellowship Program for Fundamental Research, the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) supports early-career researchers in developing into independent researchers. The programme provides the opportunity to conduct scientifically challenging and innovative research projects in pursuit of a PhD. In September of 2025, two ITM-University of Antwerp candidates have obtained the FWO PhD fundamental research scholarships, Janne Wouters and Niki Danel. Janne and Niki are affiliated with both ITM and the University of Antwerp, carrying out their research mainly at ITM.

Janne Wouters

Most vaccines are evaluated for immune responses in the blood, but many diseases enter the body through the skin, for example via mosquito or sandfly bites, scratches, and direct contact. Although a body of preclinical research clearly shows certain vaccination strategies can improve skin-specific immunity and overall protection, the skin's role as a first and immune-rich barrier is neglected in current clinical vaccine research.

For her PhD, Janne Wouters from the Unit of Clinical Immunology (Department of Clinical Sciences) will study which vaccine strategies can better harness the skin as a primary line of defense by inducing immune cells stationed within the skin. These "skin-resident memory T cells" could provide direct protection at the point of entry. Learning how vaccine strategies influence these cells in humans for the first time may reveal a novel way to improve vaccine protection against a multitude of tropical diseases.

Niki Danel

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness is primarily caused by the Trypanosoma brucei gambiense parasite. This deadly disease affects West and Central Africa, and spreads between humans through tsetse fly bites. This unicellular parasite survives in the bloodstream while continuously changing its outer coat of variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs). Some of these VSGs appear to be predominant and serve as key targets in antibody-based diagnostic tests, yet the molecular basis of their strong immune recognition remains unclear.

Niki Danel from the Trypanosoma Unit (Department of Biomedical Sciences) investigates these gambiense-VSGs during the early stages of infection following tsetse fly transmission. By uncovering the structural characteristics of these predominant VSGs and how antibodies interact with them, his research aims to advance understanding of trypanosome immunobiology and guide improved serodiagnosis of HAT.

Spread the word! Share this story on