Aline Verstraeten

Aline Verstraeten is an associate professor at the University of Antwerp and head of the Connective Experimental Omics (CONNEX) research team at the Center for Medical Genetics, where she leads preclinical research on connective tissue disorders. She obtained her PhD in 2015 on next‑generation sequencing-based gene identification for Parkinson disease under the supervision of Prof. Christine Van Broeckhoven, and subsequently completed a Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)-funded postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Bart Loeys on the genetics of heritable thoracic aortic diseases. During this period, she developed a growing interest in preclinical research, which she further cultivated through international research stays with Prof. Hal Dietz (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA) and Prof. Petra Knaus (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany).

She has contributed to the identification of novel disease genes, including IPO8—now a central focus of her lab—and, together with her team, is dedicated to advancing improved model systems such as aorta-on-chip platforms, alongside using sophisticated mouse and iPSC-derived models to unravel disease mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets. In 2024, she was awarded an ERC Starting Grant, recognizing the promise of her lab’s work to drive discoveries with real translational impact. Her focus on rare diseases namely reflects a deliberate and deeply rooted commitment to patients, guided by the belief that everyone, no matter how rare their condition, deserves a future shaped by possibility. Alongside her academic career, she is a mother of three amazing young sons and enjoys spending time in nature with her family.