Below are pictures of all the fellows in our European sepsis academy.
FELLOWS
ESR 1 FATEMEH ASGARI
Project
The role of TIR8 and PTX3 in sepsis induced immunosuppression
Partner
Instituto Clinico Humanitas, Milan, Italy
Nationality
Iranian
Short CV
After I finished my bachelor’s degree in the medical laboratory, I got my master’s degree in Immunology at Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. My master’s thesis was focused on the effect of probiotic feeding on T cell populations in blood and lymphoid organs. At the same time, I expanded my master thesis in a research institute called Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, working on Toll-Like Receptors expression. In 2017, I moved to Italy and started my Ph.D. in ESA-ITN project under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholarship at Instituto Clinico Humanitas (ICH) under the supervision of Prof. Alberto Mantovani and Prof. Cecilia Garlanda. At ICH, as a member of ESA-ITN project, taking advantage of gene-targeted mice, we are evaluating the involvement of TIR8 and PTX3 in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Murine sepsis associated with infections caused by diverse microbes will be used to compare the susceptibility and the inflammatory response of immunocompetent, PTX3- and TIR8-deficient mice, and to address the mechanisms underlying defective resistance to infections and exacerbated inflammation or immunosuppression.
Contact
fatemeh.asgari@humanitasresearch.it
ESR 2 GEORGE RENIERIS
Project
Hydrogen sulphide as an emerging factor in sepsis pathogenesis
Partner
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 4th Department of Internal Medicine “ATTIKON” University Hospital
Nationality
Greek
Short CV
I graduated from the Medical School of Athens in 2009 and afterwards did my specialisation in Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery in Germany. I got my certification as an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon in 2016 from the medical board of Sachsen, Germany.
Afterwards I have been enrolled in one of the European projects under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholarship with the European Sepsis Academy, called ESA-ITN. I moved to Athens Greece where as a young stage researcher I have been working under the supervision of professor Evangelos J. Giamarellos- Bourboulis. I have been studying the role of hydrogen sulphide in the pathogenesis of sepsis using a genetically modified animal model.
ESR 3 BERKE GURKAN
Project
The Role of IRAK-M in sepsis induced immunosuppression
Partner
AMC
Nationality
Turkish
Short CV
I received my MSc. degree in 2015. During my masters I worked under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Halil Kavakli at Koc University, where I focused on understanding the effects of SNPs of core clock proteins such as BMAL1, CLOCK, PER2 and CRY1 in order to figure out how their interactions and structure functions influence the stability of circadian rhythm in humans. After my masters I started my PhD at Academisch Medisch Centrum, University of Amsterdam under the supervision of Cornelis van `t Veer. My project is based on understanding the structure function of IRAK-M in humans, the role IRAK-M plays in sepsis induced immunosuppression and the possibility of using IRAK-M both as a bio-marker and a therapeutic target for future septic patients.
Contact
b.gurkan@amc.uva.nl
ESR 4 NORA WOLFF
Project
Identification of microorganisms and bacterial products that play a role in the development of immunosuppression in sepsis.
Partner
Academic University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Nationality
Dutch
Short CV
In 2015, I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine from the University of East Anglia (UK). During this time my interest in the gut-microbiome started and led me to do my Bachelor’s thesis on the role of bifidobacteria in the intestines under the supervision of Dr. Lindsay Hall at the Quadram Institue. I continued onto with a Master’s in Molecular Medical Microbiology at the University of Nottingham (UK). This allowed me to start my PhD position at Amsterdam UMC within the European Sepsis Academy under the Marie Sklowdowska-Curie scholarship. Under the supervision of prof. W.J. Wiersinga I work on the Identification of microorganisms and bacterial products that play a role in the development of immunosuppression in sepsis with a focus on the intestinal microbiome.
Contact
n.s.Wolff@amc.uva.nl
ESR 5 ELENI KARAKIKE
Project
Linking the microRNAome and DNA methylation analysis with distinct septic transcriptional responses that characterize immunosuppression.
Partner
University of Athens
Nationality
Belgian
Short CV
In 2007 I got my master degree in Medicine at Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Afterwards I have moved to Belgium to pursue my medical specialty training in Internal Medicine at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). In 2013 I did a special training in infectious diseases (ULB, Université Catholique de Louvain- UCL and Université de Liège-ULG) and obtained the title of Specialist in Internal Medicine (2015) and Infectious Diseases (2016). I then started working as a consultant in Brugmann University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases. I also obtained a certificate of expertise in Antibiotic Management and Stewartship (organized by ULB, UCL and ULG, Belgium, 2017). Since 2017, I have had the opportunity to be enrolled in one of the European projects under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholarship called European Sepsis Academy-Innovative Training Network. I have moved to Athens, Greece, as an early stage researcher in the University of Athens and am currently working to obtain my PhD under the supervision of Pr. Giamarellos-Bourboulis.
The subject of my research is to design and perform an international, multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on clarithromycin in septic patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and hospital-acquired infections (INtravenous CLArithromycin in Sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction Syndrome, INCLASS study). Transcriptomic and genomic profiling is prospectively performed overtime in well-characterized patients and linked to clinical outcomes in order to identify biomarkers for risk stratification and response to treatment, while testing the effect of clarithromycin in immunoparalysis reversal.
Contact
elkarakike@med.uoa.gr
ESR 6 IRENE SCHRIJVER
Project
Diagnostic profiling of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in sepsis
Partner
University hospital Lausanne, Switzerland
Nationality
Dutch
Short CV
In 2016, I graduated from the University of Utrecht with a master’s degree in Medicine. During the last year of my study, I enrolled in a multidisciplinary dedicated transitional year with a focus on anaesthesiology, cardiology, intensive care medicine and respiratory medicine. I did my research electives in the UMC Utrecht under the supervision of prof. D.W. de Lange in the field of sepsis. We looked at the value of certain biomarkers for diagnosing sepsis and predicating mortality. Therefore, the program of the European Sepsis Academy “Towards new biomarkers to improve sepsis management” tailored exactly to my research interest and I am now thrilled to be part of the project.
Contact
irene.schrijver@chuv.ch
ESR 7 CHARLOTTE THEROUDE
Project
Innate lymphoid cells in sepsis
Partner
CHUV (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois)
Nationality
French
Short CV
In 2016 I got my master degree in Genetics and cell biology, specialty infectiology at the University Claude Bernard in Lyon, France. Since December 2016, I am working as a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Thierry Roger and Prof. Thierry Calandra in the laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland. I am one of the 15 students enrolled within the Horizon 2020 Marie Curie Innovative Training Network called European Sepsis Academy (ESA). My PhD project focuses on the role played by a recently discovered immune population, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). Indeed several arguments suggest that dysregulated expression and/or functions of ILCs may play a role in sepsis pathogenesis.
Contact
charlotte.theroude@chuv.ch
ESR 8 SADAF DAVOUDIAN
Project
Evaluation and validation of discovered biomarkers for early prognostic stratification of septic patients
Partner
ICH, Humanitas Mirasole s.p.a., Milan, Italy
Nationality
Iranian
Short CV
In 2012 I got my Bachelor in medical laboratory science in Iran then I was graduated in medical immunology in 2016 from Tabriz university of Iran . The subject of my project was defining BACH1 roles in Colon Cancer in vitro through BACH1 knockdown by specific siRNA. After 6 months graduation, have been enrolled in European sepsis academy project (ESA-ITN) under MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE ACTIONS scholarship called H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015 with “Towards new biomarkers to improve sepsis management” title. I started my PhD project as Early Stage Researcher number eight (ESR8) in Humanitas University in Milan, Italy under supervision of Prof.Alberto Mantovani and Dr.Barbara Bottazzi in January 2017. In this Project we are investigating and evaluating some biomarkers that have been developed or are under development in ICH such as PTX3, IL-1R2, TIR8 and MSF; for early prognostic stratification of septic patients.
Contact
sadaf.davoudian@humanitasresearch.it
ESR 9 MIRANDA MELIS
Project
Temporal relationship between bioenergetics function and immune suppression in vitro and in vivo
Partner
Bloomsbury Institute for Intensive Care Medicine, University College London
Nationality
Dutch
Short CV
I finished my MSc in Molecular Nutrition and Toxicology (Wageningen University, The Netherlands), and my MSc in Policy Analysis for the Health and Life Sciences (VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands) in 2017. By combining these MScs, I have not only learned how to perform both qualitative and quantitative research, but also acquired a unique insight into applying any findings into practical societal settings. During my MScs, I have completed various research projects and interned at highly regarded research institutes and governmental organisations both at a national and international level.
My first MSc research project was part of a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) about the effects of whole grain wheat on endothelial health and inflammation. This research was conducted at the Division of Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics of Wageningen University under supervision of Prof. Sander Kersten. During such study, I measured leukocyte and neutrophil specific cell surface adhesion molecules in blood samples by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). For my second MSc project I moved to Melbourne, Australia, to study the effects of breastfeeding on leptin gene methylation and its genetic regulation in twins at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute under supervision of Prof. Richard Saffery. In addition to these research projects, I have interned at the Public Health Service of Amsterdam and the Ministry of Health in the Netherlands. In this role, I worked on food fortification and healthy eating promotion for primary school children.
Because of my international experience and dual MSc programme, I was thrilled to learn about the ESA-ITN and its interdisciplinary nature. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have been given to become part of this big international collaborative project and to contribute to the development of new treatment strategies in the field of sepsis under supervision of Prof. Mervyn Singer.
Contact
m.melis@ucl.ac.uk
ESR 10 VERA PETERS
Project
Fatty acids on the crossroads of metabolic and immunological pathways in sepsis
Partner
University College London
Nationality
Dutch
Short CV
I got my master degree in 2015 in Molecular Nutrition and Immunology at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. After graduation, I worked as teaching assistant in different courses on nutrition, pharmacology and molecular- and microbiology. I moved to London to be working on one of the PhD projects within the European Sepsis Academy, an international trainings network under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholarship. I am based at University College London, where I research the impact of fatty acids on metabolic and immune functions in sepsis; with Prof. Mervyn Singer and Dr. Manu Shankar-Hari being my supervisors.
Contact
vera.peters.16@ucl.ac.uk
ESR 11 CHLOE ALBERT
Project
Definition of an immuno functional assay to characterize the altered immune status observed in sepsis patients
Partner
Biomerieux-Critical care biomarker development
Nationality
Argentinian
Short CV
My name is Chloé Albert, I am Argentinian but I grew up in Spain, Valencia, where I went to college. In 2013 I got my license degree in Biology at the University of Valencia, in Spain, after have spent a year abroad for my Erasmus exchange at the
University of Geneva (Switzerland). After a year working on a different topic, I moved to Belgium to do a master degree in Biomedical Sciences at KUL in Leuven, which I ended in 2016. Afterwards I was enrolled in one of the European projects under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholarship called EUROPEAN SEPSIS ACADEMY. At the end of 2016 I moved to France, Lyon, where I am currently working in my PhD project as a young stage researcher. The subject of my research is the definition of an immune functional assay in order to characterise the altered
immune status observed in sepsis patients. I am based in a joint unit lab at the Lyon Sud Hospital, where I enjoy the benefits of having as partner Biomerieux,
with the latest equipment and technology in the lab, as well as the company vision.
Contact
ESR 12 DINA TAWFIK
Project
Design of a fully integrated molecular tool to manage intensive care unit patients based on their immune status
Partner
Biomerieux- Medical Diagnostic Discovery Department
Nationality
Egyptian
Short CV
Contact
dina.tawfik@biomerieux.com
ESR 13 HARJEET VIRK
Project
Partner
Academic University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Nationality
Indian
Short CV
Contact
h.s.virk@amc.uva.nl
ESR 14 ANDRES ALBAN
Project
Sequential sampling for efficient clinical trials with biomarker covariates
Partner
INSEAD
Nationality
Colombian
Small CV
In 2016 I finished a Bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and physics from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. During my studies I was involved in a project to develop efficient Monte Carlo simulation methods to assess the safety of nuclear power plants. In September of 2016 I started my doctoral studies in the Technology and Operations Management department at INSEAD under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholarship. My project’s objective is to develop efficient clinical trial designs that make use of patient data to identify the best treatment as a function of patient covariates/biomarkers.
Contact
andres.alban@insead.edu
ESR 15 CHRISTOS OIKONOMOU
Contact
christos.oikonomou@insead.edu
“This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 676129. This website reflects only the author’s view and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains”
