Bioinformatics and AI

Yvan Saeys obtained his PhD in computer science from Ghent University. After spending time abroad at the University of the Basque Country (Spain) and the University of Lyon (France) he returned to Belgium and established the Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine (DAMBI) group at the VIB Center for Inflammation Research (IRC) in Gent. As of 2015, he is a professor at Ghent University and a principal investigator (group leader) at VIB, where he is heading an interdisciplinary research team of 21 people, consisting of mathematicians, computer scientists, engineers and bioinformaticians. The Saeys lab studies the design and application of novel data mining and machine learning techniques for high-dimensional single-cell omics data, including methods to model cell developmental trajectories and intercellular communication. At the methodological level, the lab studies the robustness and interpretability of machine learning models.

Kris Laukens, who acquired his PhD in 2003, is now a Full Professor in bioinformatics at the University of Antwerp's Adrem Data Lab. His research primarily focuses on developing data science and AI methods to turn biomedical data into actionable insights, supporting a range of (pre-)clinical research projects through innovative data analysis and collaboration with hospitals and research institutes. Laukens founded BIOMINA in 2011, a multidisciplinary hub uniting computational research, life sciences, and clinical expertise, now recognized as a core facility of the University of Antwerp. Additionally, he leads the Tech Transfer consortium "Precision Medicine Technologies" (PreMeT), focusing on converting technology into economic and societal value. In 2022, he received the FWO FNRS AstraZeneca Award for his work on human immune response heterogeneity and he has been acknowledged as a top young innovator in Antwerpen. Further, Laukens has founded two successful spin-off companies. In ImmuneWatch BV, he works on AI technology to make T cell repertoire data actionable in clinical applications.