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Our laboratory focuses its activities on the study of drugs (with special emphasis on anti-infective drugs) in a broad context.

The Team consists of approx. 20 scientists, 4 technicians, and students

Research activities include:
  • Laboratory Research examines the interactions between antiinfective agents (mainly antibiotics) and eucaryotic cells within a context of cellular and molecular pharmacology and toxicology. Disciplines and methodologies used span from Biophysics and Cellular and Molecular Biology to Morphology and Animal Trials.  New, original molecules are either designed and synthesized or screened from natural sources
    .
  • Clinical Research aims at improving the use of antibiotics in the hospital set-up, based usually but not exclusively on pharmacodynamic considerations and starting from original experimental research in this area.  

    Note: Clinical Pharmacy, launched in 2001, is now organized as the Centre for Clinical Pharmacy (with a research group part of the Louvain Drug Research Institute)

Educational activities are undertaken within the context of the the Information Center on Infective Pathology and Anti-infective Chemotherapy, the Séminaire de Pathologie Infectieuse, the Belgian Antibiotic Policy Coordination Committee, the Belgian Society of Infectiology and Clinical Microbiology, and the International society for Antiinfective Pharmacology.

Contract-based research and educational activities are undertaken in each of these areas.


Science and Education
Contact and Relations

Main Themes of research

  1. Laboratory research
  2. Clinical research

  3. Clinical Pharmacy (launched in 2001)
    This activity has now evolved on its own, while maintaining strong links with our researcxh group
    Please, visit the WEB site of the     Centre for Clinical Pharmacy (CFCL)

Expertise (available for contract-based activities) 
  • Laboratory  research
    • in vitro studies of drug-membrane interactions (biophysical and biochemical studies)
    • in vitro (cellular models) of antibiotic activity in intracellular infections (cellular pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics)
    • in vitro (cellular and a-cellular models) and in vivo (animal models) evaluation of antibiotic safety
    • rational design and synthesis of new antimicrobials
    • phenotypic and genotypic methods for the search of resistance by efflux in human pathogens

  • Clinical trials and assessment of benefit/risk ratio of antibiotics: 
    • pharmacodynamics and toxicodynamics-based new approaches for antibiotic dosing
    • new drug trials
    • litterature and database analysis (for registration and regulatory affairs purposes)

  • Educational activities
    • workshop and conferences on pharmacodynamics, resistance and appropriate choice of antiinfective agents
    • interactive sessions about the appropriate use of drugs for medical and pharmaceutical audiences
    • private courses for Industry

Publications (asbtracts and full text available for the most recents)
  • list of all papers by categories 
    • original contributions, reviews, books, chapter of books, proceedings, PhD and Master degree dissertations, educational papers, published abstracts 
  • indexed search 
    • by author, year, journal, type of publication, keywords

Educational activities

Contacts:

Address and  access:

Location:

The Unit is located on the campus of the Health Sciences Sector (Secteur des Sciences de la Santé) of the Catholic University of Louvain (Université catholique de Louvain) in Brussels (Woluwé Saint-Lambert; approx. 10km [7 mi.] from the city center). Access: Directions and Access Maps (car - train and subway - plane) - Find us on Google maps (will open a new tab)
Team (Last update: January 2, 2023) -- see photo of most of the members of the lab during our last social activities (visiting Bruges on July 4, 2007; Pairi Daiza on July 8, 2013; celebrating 40 years of work of MC Cambier in November 2015: thanking Marie-Claire Cambier for her work in the lab during 42 years; Pairi Daiza in May 2018; visit of the chocolate museum in December 2018 ; visit in Namur (Brasserie de la Houppe) in July 2019; and on Christmas parties (2007; 2008; 2009; 2010; 2011; 2012-2013 ; 2013 ; 2014 ; 2015; 2016 ; 2017; 2018 ; 2022)
 

Phone numbers: if calling from

  • within the Health Science Sector (Faculties and Cliniques universitaires St-Luc at Woluwé-St-Lambert): dial 4 and then only the last 4 digits (ex.: 4-7370)
  • from the University main campus (Louvain-la-Neuve) or the campuses of St-Gilles and Mons: dial 774 and the last 4 digits (ex.: 774-7370)
  • from anywhere else in Belgium: dial 02 followed by the 7 digits number shown hereunder (thus 9 digits in total; ex.: 02-7647370)
  • from outside Belgium: dial your International Access Code (IAC) followed by 32 (Belgium), 2 (Brussels) and the the 7 digits number shown hereunder (thus 10 digits in total after your IAC)
    (example: IAC-32-2-7647370)
E-mails: as from July 2007, the University uses the <first_name.last_name@uclouvain.be> addressing system, which is in use for all addresses created since then.
However, all former addresses using <name@facm.ucl.ac.be> that were created before July 2007 are still working and can be used.

Scientific Staff

Senior investigators (click on the name to get a C.V.)

 
 
 
 

Junior Investigators

Frédéric Goormaghtigh, Belgium (PhD)
764.73.71
<frederic.goormaghtigh@uclouvain.be>

 research topic: bacteriocins against intracellular bacteria
general theme: Chemotherapy of intracellular infection
support: Beware (région Wallonne)

Gert-Jan Wijnant, Belgium (PhD)
764.73.71
<gert-jan.wijnant@uclouvain.be>

research topic: reviving old antibiotics
general theme: Clinical evaluation of new approaches in antibiotic dosing
support: Beware (région Wallonne)
Gang Wang, Pharm, China (PhD)
764.73.56
<gang.wang@uclouvain.be>		 research topic: persistence of intracellular infections
general theme: Chemotherapy of intracellular infection
support: Excellence of Science
Jad Atrissi, PharmD, Italy
764.72.25
<jad.atrissi@uclouvain.be >

research topic: persistence of intracellular infections
general theme: Chemotherapy of intracellular infection
support: Excellence of Science
Randy Bouzisa Mbuku, MD, RDC
764.72.75
< randy.buzisambuku@uclouvain.be >

research topic: improving the treatment of orthopedic infections
general theme: Antibiotic activity against biofilms
Support to clinical research

Audrey Comein, MBiomedSc,Belgium
(PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
764.72.75
<audrey.comein@uclouvain.be>

research topic: intracellular life of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
general theme: Chemotherapy of intracellular infection
support: Université catholique de Louvain
Steven De Soir, MBiomedSc, Belgium
(PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
764.73.76
<steven.desoir@uclouvain.be>		 research topic: Phages and mixed species biofilms in the context of orthopedic infections
general theme: Antibiotic activity against biofilms
Support: Innoviris
Mandeep Kaur, MSc, India
(PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
764.73.56
<M.kaur@uclouvain.be>
research topic: Influence of amphiphilic aminogycoside derivatives on bacterial membrane properties
general theme: drug-membrane interactions
support: Université catholique de Louvain (actions de recherches concertées)

Gwenaëlle Mahieu, PharmD, belgium
(PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
764.72.75
< gwenaelle.mahieu@uclouvain.be >

research topic: parameters that influence the cellular pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of fluoroquinolones against intracellular infections
general theme: Chemotherapy of intracellular infection
support: Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique

Paria Rasouli, PharmD, Iran
(PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
764.73.76
<Paria.rasouli@uclouvain.be>

 research topic: Activity and mechanism of action of membrane-active potentiators against Gram-negative bacteria
general theme: drug-membrane interactions
support: Université catholique de Louvain

Ahmad Sleiman, MSc, Lebanon
(PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
764.73.76
<ahmad.sleiman@uclouvain.be>

 research topic: molecular mechanism of antibiotic resistance in MRSA
general theme: drug-membrane interactions
support: Université catholique de Louvain
Hélène Thirot, Pharm, Belgium
(PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
764.73.75
<helene.thirot@uclouvain.be>		 research topic: off label use of antibiotics: associated risk of toxicity and of selection of resistance
general theme: Clinical evaluation of new approaches in antibiotic dosing and Clinical Pharmacy
support: Université catholique de Louvain

Zhifen Wang, Pharm, China
(PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
764.73.76
<zhifen.wang@uclouvain.be>

 research topic: antibiotic activity against biofilms in the context of cystic fibrosis
general theme: Antibiotic activity against biofilms
support: China Scholarship Council

Laetitia Fontaine, Belgium (PhD)
<laetitia.fontaine@uclouvain.be>

 research topic: novel strategies against biofilms
general theme: Antibiotic activity against biofilms
support: Région wallonne (in connection with OneLife)
Perrin Ngougni Pokem, PharmD, PhD, Cameroon
<perrin.ngougni@uclouvain.be> 		research topic: optimisation of antibiotic usage based on therapeutic monitoring approaches
general theme: Clinical evaluation of new approaches in antibiotic dosing and Clinical Pharmacy

Hervé Poilvache, MD, PhD, Belgium
<herve.poilvache@uclouvain.be>

research topic: improving diagnostic and treatment of orthopedic infections
general theme: Antibiotic activity against biofilms

Vasileios Yfantis (full-time technician)
764.73.76
<vasileios.yfantis@uclouvain.be>

 research topic: novel strategies against biofilms
general theme: Antibiotic activity against biofilms
support: Région wallonne (in connection with OneLife)

 

    Arthur Balcaen (student in pharmacy) research topic: intracellular infection and persistence
general theme: Chemotherapy of intracellular infection
    Mohammed El Mokryi (student in pharmacy) research topic: molecular mechanism of antibiotic resistance in MRSA
general theme: drug-membrane interactions
    Judicaël Ouédraogo (student in pharmacy) research topic: intracellular infection and persistence
general theme: Chemotherapy of intracellular infection
    Jessica Solis (master in medical sciences) research topic: antibiotic activity against biofilms in the context of cystic fibrosis
general theme: Antibiotic activity against biofilms

Technical and Administrative Staff

Murielle Callier (part-time secretary)
<murielle.callier@uclouvain.be>		 main activities: accounts, administrative tasks
support: FP7 program of European Union

Virginie Mohymont (full-time technician)
764.73.70
<virginie.mohymont@uclouvain.be>

 main activities: secretarial and administrative tasks; microbiology,cell culture, biochemistry and molecular biology
support: Université catholique de Louvain

Romain Tricot (full-time technician)
764.73.70
<romain.tricot@uclouvain.be>

 main activities: microbiology, biochemistry, cell culture
support: Université catholique de Louvain

Former Staff Members, Post-doctoral fellows,Visiting Scientists, Doctoral fellows, Non-doctoral fellows, and Students

by chronological order of joining the laboratory and with the following information by order: Name, degree when joining the Unit, Country/State, period of stay, position(s) held, main and/or final degree earned if any, source(s) of financing

Former staff members

Post-doctoral fellows

Visiting scientits

Doctoral fellows

Non-doctoral fellows

Students

 

Former Technical and Administrative Staff

by chronological order of leaving the laboratory

  Francine Andries Epse Renoird
(1st Head Technician)		 main activities: biochemistry, electron microscopy, training of new fellows, accounting

started: 1970
left: 2006
  Olga Meert (1st Technician) main activities: general maintenance

started: 1991
left: 2007
  Jonathan Gesels (technician) main activities: serotyping by molecular biology techniques started: 2009
left: 2010
  Martial Vergauwen (technician)

main techniques: biophysics, biochemistry, cell fractionation

 started: 2004
left: 2011
  Charlotte Misson (technician) main techniques: biochemistry, microbiology started: 2006
left: 2011
  Nathalie Couwenbergh (technician) main techniques: HPLC, microbiology, molecular biology started: 2007
left: 2012
  Ozlem Misir (technician) main techniques: biophysics, biochemistry

started: 2010
left: 2012
  Julie Maron ( technician) main techniques: biophysics, biochemistry started: 2013
left: 2015
  Marie-Claire Cambier (1st Head Technician) main techniques: cell culture, microbiology, biochemistry started: 1974
left: 2017
  Pierre Muller (technician) main techniques: HPLC, microbiology, molecular biology started: 2012
left: 2017
  Adrien Chaniotacos (technician) main techniques: microbiology started: 2019
left: 2019
  Katia Santos Saial main techniques: cell culture, microbiology, biochemistry started: 2011
left: 2020
  Vasileios Yfantis main techniques: microbiology started: 2015
left: 2020
  Alix Mangin main techniques: HPLC, microbiology

started: 2017
left: 2022

Financing

Special Events

(by chronological order since 1997)