I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Antwerp working on Nanopore sequencing and metagenomics, and I am gradually expanding my work into entrepreneurship. You can find more about my research interests in bioinformatics, computational biology and microbiology throughout this page. Beyond science, I enjoy building websites, exploring productivity systems, playing music, hiking and staying active.
After completing my Master’s degree in Biology (Cell and Systems Biology) at the University of Antwerp, I started a PhD in January 2018 with support from an FWO-SB fellowship. This joint project between the University of Antwerp and the Institute of Tropical Medicine focused on the genomics of Salmonella. I worked on Salmonella Concord, performing culture-based work, short- and long-read sequencing (Illumina, PacBio and Nanopore) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Through this work, I developed broad expertise in microbiology, bacterial genomics and bioinformatics pipeline design. A large part of my PhD work was published in Nature Communications (manuscript link).
During my PhD, I also specialised in antimicrobial resistance, which led to one of my most-cited papers in Microbial Genomics (manuscript link). Additionally, I examined differences in gene co-expression between two Salmonella Typhimurium strains. This led to the development of the R package gccR (https://github.com/Cuypers-Wim/gccR), which was one of my larger coding projects of my PhD.
I defended my PhD thesis, Genomic adaptation of Salmonella to antimicrobials and the human host, in June 2023.
Since completing my PhD fellowship, I have been working at the Adrem Data Lab on LeapSEQ, a project focused on enabling rapid, mobile pathogen monitoring using Nanopore sequencing. To launch this work, I first established a fully functional sequencing laboratory, an exciting first for a research group within the Department of Computer Science! Our first paper on Nanopore adaptive sampling, published in mBio (manuscript link), was possible due to this lab.
A central goal in my career is to help make near–real-time pathogen detection accessible, particularly in settings where this can provide meaningful value for low- and middle-income countries. Equitable access to innovative technologies motivates much of my work. This drive led me to wastewater metagenomics as a way to monitor antimicrobial resistance and pathogens. The field combines scientific discovery with a clear practical purpose, which aligns well with my growing interest in entrepreneurship.
Alongside my academic work, I advise start-ups on genomics and sequencing strategy. This consulting activity is something I plan to expand, as it allows me to translate scientific expertise into practical, real-world applications. I also intend to develop a university spin-off that builds on the technologies and insights emerging from my research.
Outside the lab, basketball has played a major role in my life for more than 15 years. I have played for Oxaco BBC Boechout, Antwerp Giants and Mercurius Berchem. The teamwork and group spirit that define the sport influence how I approach scientific and collaborative projects. I also enjoy playing acoustic guitar, mainly Blues, Country and Bluegrass, but I recently started taking classical guitar classes. Another one of my favourite free time activities is hiking or backpacking.