Q1. Who inspired you to become a scientist?

Quite unexpectedly, I was inspired by the professor who taught biochemistry during my bachelor’s studies in physical education. I had to retake the exam, which forced me to dive deeper into the material — and instead of being discouraged, I became intrigued. That experience sparked a growing curiosity that eventually led me to pursue a master’s in biochemistry… and the rest unfolded naturally from there.

Q2. What drives your research interest?

Early in my PhD, after a period of hypothesis-driven research, the world of omics completely opened my eyes. The complementarity and breadth of these unbiased approaches fundamentally changed how I saw biological questions. The ability to capture complexity at scale continues to motivate me — every dataset feels like an opportunity to understand biology more deeply than before.

Q3. What is your current research focus?

Our lab aims to unravel gene expression and protein translation dynamics simultaneously in both pathogen and host during bacterial infection. This integrated, dual-perspective approach is essential for understanding the full complexity of host–pathogen interactions. Further, we have uncovered translation of many previously uncharacterized small open reading frames (sORFs) and alternative N-terminal proteoforms in bacterial pathogens — findings that challenge classical genome annotations and reveal an underappreciated layer of proteome diversity.

Q4. Who are your current scientific influences?

I’m especially inspired by interdisciplinary researchers who push boundaries by combining state-of-the-art technologies with creative biological questions. People who comfortably move between fields to advance scientific understanding always catch my attention.

Q5. If you hadn’t become a scientist, what would your dream job be?

Probably a sports journalist or nutrition advisor for (professional) athletes. Sports evoke emotions and energy that are hard to replicate elsewhere, and combining that world with communication or physiology would have been a dream alternative path.

Q6. What are your hobbies?

Until a few years ago, track and field was a major part of my life, picking it up again in adulthood gave me energy and balance. These days, my body unfortunately no longer tolerates that impact, so low-impact cycling has taken over, conveniently matching my love of watching the sport (with classic Belgian dominance — big Wout van Aert fan!). I also fit in some strength training now and then. Science says it’s essential for women my age, and who am I to argue with data?

Q7. What books influenced you the most?

Honestly, I’ve only read a handful of books during my school years. I always joke that this now makes sense, given how many scientific papers I read every week. Perhaps there will be a time later in life for more literary exploration.

Q8. What are your favourite movies?

The Mission remains a long-standing favourite — its music and emotional depth always stayed with me. I’m also very fond of Lion, the story of Saroo Brierley, an adopted child who searches for his biological family years after getting lost on a train in India. A beautiful and moving film.

Q9. What advice would you give your 18-year old self?

Try to maintain a positive outlook, even when things feel overwhelming. And don’t let emotions overshadow your path — especially not when you are genuinely trying to make the best of every opportunity.

Q10. What, in your opinion, is the “next big thing” in the field of scientific research?

Spatial omics and single-cell omics will continue to reshape how we view biological systems — that much seems clear. But I’m particularly excited about the accelerating role of AI-driven data analysis. In my own field, I expect AI-based tools to help us dissect cellular heterogeneity during infection in ways that would have been impossible to imagine even a few years ago.