Vrije Universiteit Brussel

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The research group Reproduction and Genetics (REGE) is part of the research department Embryology and Genetics. The core interests of REGE are human preimplantation development and clinical genetics.

Historically, the group has been interested in metabolic diseases such as lysosomal storage diseases and this has led to the close collaboration of S. Seneca with the neuro-paediatricians (L. De Meirleir) of the hospital, investigating mitochondrial diseases and malformations of the cortical development and their causes.

W. Lissens is the principal investigator of the research project on the genetics aspects of male infertility, which investigates the genetic causes for male infertility.

I. Liebaers, K. Sermon, M. De Rycke, C. Staessen and P. Devroey are responsible for the research focused on preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) both for monogenic diseases as for chromosomal aberrations.

M. De Rycke is also interested in assessing the safety of ART techniques and in this context leads the research project on the epigenetics of human development.

H. Van de Velde investigates the mechanisms that underlie totipotency in human preimplantation embryos.

E. Van den Abbeel has a long track record in the cryopreservation of human gametes, embryos and now implements the novel technique of vitrification in the clinic.

The interest of M. Bonduelle lies in the long-term follow-up of children born after ART. This has resulted in one the largest and most comprehensive databases on children in the world.

The research on human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent cells (K. Sermon) is a novel activity at the VUB since 2002. Currently, we have derived 28 stem cell lines, of which sixteen carry a monogenic disease.

Sonia Van Dooren recently started up a research project on cardiogenetics in close collaboration with the Heart Rhythm Management Institute of UZ Brussel. She is the principal investigator of a project primarily focussing on the molecular genetic pathways of Brugada syndrome.