Human Reproduction, Development & Stem Cell Biology: From Genetics to Translational Models

We are a multidisciplinary research group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) working at the intersection of genetics, human reproduction, developmental biology and stem cell research. Based on the Brussels Health Campus and closely connected to Brussels IVF and the Centre for Medical Genetics of UZ Brussel, we combine fundamental biology with clinically relevant research questions in fertility, early human development and regenerative medicine.

Our expertise lies mostly in male and female reproductive biology, genetic causes of infertility, early embryonic development, fertility preservation and stem cell biology. We use human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and advanced in vitro models to investigate developmental processes and disease mechanisms, including hESC-derived blastoids as models of early implantation.

A complementary strength of our group is our extensive expertise in pancreatic development and β-cell regeneration, including approaches aimed at understanding and harnessing β-cell neogenesis in the context of diabetes.

We are particularly interested in building multidisciplinary collaborations that connect genetics, reproductive medicine, developmental biology, stem cell technology, disease modelling and regenerative medicine. Our research environment offers opportunities to develop and validate innovative human cellular and embryonic models, investigate mechanisms underlying infertility and developmental disorders, and explore new strategies for fertility preservation and regenerative therapies.

We are open to collaborations with academic groups, clinical centres, research infrastructures and industry partners, particularly where our expertise in human stem cells, reproductive biology, embryonic models, genetics or pancreatic regeneration can complement existing technologies, datasets or therapeutic programmes.

Potential collaboration areas include:

• Genetic and molecular mechanisms of infertility and impaired embryonic development

• Human reproductive and developmental models

• Stem cell-based disease modelling and differentiation

• Blastoids and models of early implantation

• Fertility preservation and reproductive medicine

• Pancreatic development and β-cell regeneration

• Translational applications of human stem cell and regenerative medicine technologies