MEET THE TEAM

Jerome Hendriks (°1976) obtained his biology degree at Wageningen University and completed his PhD at the VU medical center in Amsterdam with research stays at the University of Innsbruck and the University Southampton. After starting his career as a postdoc at Hasselt University, he established his own research group in 2011. Driven by a passion for understanding how the immune system impacts repair mechanisms in the central nervous system, his research explores how lipid metabolism controls neuroinflammation. His unique interdisciplinary expertise in immunology, metabolism, nutrition and neuroscience allows him to advance our comprehension of the intricate connections between the immune system and neurological health, and offers a promising avenue for the development of new treatments that promote CNS repair. 

Sanne Verberk (°1994) studied a BSc Nutrition and Health, followed by a MSc Medical Biotechnology in Wageningen (Netherlands). During her final MSc internships, she studied macrophage metabolic rewiring (Wageningen University) and the rare neuroinflammatory disease Rasmussen Encephalitis (Medical University Vienna). After finishing her MSc, Sanne started her PhD on targeting macrophage metabolism in atherosclerosis in the group of Jan Van den Bossche at the Amsterdam UMC. In 2022, Sanne continued the macrophage-metabolism-track as a postdoc in the laboratory of Prof. dr. Jerome Hendriks at the Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED) at the University of Hasselt. With funding obtained from an FWO junior postdoc grant, she is currently studying cellular metabolism and fatty acid synthesis as a target to induce repair in multiple sclerosis.

Sofie Kessels (°1993) studied a BSc and MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Hasselt University. She pursued her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Bert Brône, focusing on the role of a neurodevelopmental regulator as a molecular key in microglia, controlling mouse behavior through cytoskeletal regulation. Since 2023, Sofie has continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow, initially in the Brône lab and now in the laboratory of Prof. Jerome Hendriks at the University of Hasselt. Her current work investigates intracellular trafficking and degradation of lipid droplets in the context of multiple sclerosis, aiming to uncover novel mechanisms involved in neuroinflammation and de/re-myelination.

Shauni Doms (°1992) completed her BSc and MSc in Biochemistry and Biotechnology at Ghent University, Belgium, before pursuing her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (Plön, Germany), where she studied the co-evolution between hosts and their microbiome. Throughout her PhD and postdoctoral work, she conducted large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to explore the genetic underpinnings of gut microbial traits and their functional potential. In 2025, Shauni joined the Hendriks-MIND lab to investigate the role of the gut microbiome in multiple sclerosis, with a focus on microbial metabolism, immune interactions, and their contribution to neuroinflammation and disease progression.

Zongyao Huyan (°1994) obtained his BSc and MSc in Food Science from Northwest A&F University, China, before pursuing his PhD at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. His doctoral thesis, “Insights into the lipid metabolism by human gut microbiota”, investigated the interplay between dietary lipids and human gut microbiota using chemical, microbiological, and bioinformatics approaches. In 2025, he joined Hendriks MIND Lab to investigate the role of the gut microbiome in multiple sclerosis, focusing on the crosstalk between gut microbes and human neural systems mediated by microbial lipids.

Fleur Mingneau (°1996) studied a BSc Biotechnology at PXL (Diepenbeek), which she followed-up with a MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Hasselt University. During her final MSc internship, Fleur joined the lab of Prof. dr. Jerome Hendriks to study the role of fatty acid translocase CD36 in oligodendrocyte differentiatoin and remyelination. In November 2021, she obtained an FWO fundamental research fellowship to continue this work in a PhD. Furthermore, Fleur is studying the role of fatty acid activation and arachidonic acid metabolism in phagocyte function in multiple sclerosis.

Julia Konings (°1997) completed her BSc in Biomedical Sciences and MSc Biomolecular Sciences at the VU in Amsterdam, Netherlands. After her Masters internship in the Neuroimmunology group at the VUmc, she joined the group of Dr. Gijs Kooij as a PhD student to further focus on inflammation-resolution and the molecular mechanisms in the context of multiple sclerosis. Currently, she is affiliated with the Hendriks-MIND Lab at the University of Hasselt for a collaborative project, where we investigate the role of the enzyme FLAP in multiple sclerosis, and the effect of modulating this enzyme on neuro-inflammation and -degeneration.

Bo Batens (°1999) studied a BSc and MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Hasselt University. During her final MSc internship, Bo developed her passion for the effect of nutrition on MS progression. After her internship, she was given the opportunity to continue this work with a personal BOF grant. During her PhD, Bo is defining the impact of flavonoids, which are natural compounds present in plant-derived foods, on autoimmunity and remyelination. Furthermore, Bo investigates the real-life impact of changed dietary habits in a clinical study where she defines the impact of a flavonoid-enriched Mediterranean diet on the clinical outcome of MS patients.

Laura Bolkaerts (°2000) obtained her BSc and MSc degree in Biomedical Sciences at Hasselt University. During her final MSc internship in the lab of Prof. Dr. Jerome Hendriks, Laura investigated the impact of nutritional factors on macrophages and oligodendrocytes in the context of multiple sclerosis. In November 2023, Laura obtained a FWO strategic basic research fellowship to continue this work. During her PhD, Laura is investigating the therapeutic potential of dietary components in promoting recovery for multiple sclerosis patients. In addition, she is interested in exploring how fatty acid elongation in oligodendrocytes can contribute to remyelination in multiple sclerosis.

Shanmukha Priya Srinivasan (°1997) holds a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology from SASTRA University, India, and completed her bachelor’s thesis in 2019 at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York under the guidance of Prof. dr. Karin Hochrainer. Coming from a family of educators, she initially embraced a teaching role as a high school science teacher in India. Driven by her passion for life sciences, she pursued an MSc in Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven, graduating in 2023. During her master’s, Priya focused on neuroscience and neurodegeneration, particularly inspired by her neuroimaging work with Prof. dr. Pieter Vanden Berghe (LENS). Building on her interest in neurodegenerative diseases, she joined the Hendriks-MIND Lab, at the University of Hasselt, where her research now centers on targeting foamy macrophages to promote lesion resolution in multiple sclerosis.

Thalissa Caers (°1998) completed her BSc in Biomedical Sciences at Hasselt University, followed by a MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Antwerp University, where she specialized in tropical and infectious diseases. During her MSc internship in the Laboratory of Experimental Hematology at Antwerp University, she investigated the role of macrophages in Varicella Zoster Virus infections. After earning her Master’s degree, she joined the Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology, and Hygiene at Antwerp University. There, she developed an iPSC-derived human neuronal infection model to screen antiviral treatments for neurotropic viral infections. In 2024, Thalissa joined the Hendriks-MIND lab to pursue her PhD, supported by a personal BOF grant. Her research focuses on targeting ApoE-associated changes in the macrophage and microglia lipidome to promote remyelination in multiple sclerosis.

Elke Smeets (°2001) obtained both her BSc and MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Hasselt University. During the final stage of the master’s program, she performed a seven-month internship in the lab of Prof. dr. Jerome Hendriks, where she investigated the role of fatty acid elongation in macrophages in the context of multiple sclerosis. In November 2024, Elke was awarded a personal FWO Fundamental Research fellowship to build upon her previous work. During her PhD research, she will focus on exploring how targeting fatty acid elongation in macrophages and microglia can contribute to remyelination in multiple sclerosis.