Defense Supervisor:
Mycology Supervisor (LLN):
Jérôme Ambroise
Bertrand Bearzatto
Jean-François Durant
Maimouna Elmjouzi
Auxane Ladang
Christelle Demaret
Prof Jean-Luc Gala, MD, PhD
Jean-Luc Gala (MD, PhD, Col Rtd) is Full Professor at Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) where he teaches molecular genetics, and Chief Resident (Chef de Clinique) in St-Luc Academic Hospital. He is the founder and the chairman of the mixed military-academic technological platform CTMA/DLD-Bio (Center of Applied Molecular Technologies-UCL/Defense Laboratories Department-Biological Threats-BEMOD), hosting joined military, academic and industrial R&D projects. His work focuses on developing and validating innovative new DNA-based diagnostic and prognostic tools for genetic-based diseases and infectious diseases.
Senior Captain Steven Verberckmoes, Ir
Steven Verberckmoes received his MSc in Bioscience Engineering in 2002 and his postgraduate in Management and Communication in 2003. He joined the Belgian Army that same year. As a staff officer, he was responsible for the lifecycle management of a wide portfolio of equipment, ranging from food to capital goods for the medical branch. He later became project officer for several large turnkey medico/military infrastructure projects and logistics manager at the Royal Military Hospital Queen Astrid. Steven joined CTMA in 2015, he is a senior captain (OF3), married to a military veterinarian and father of twin boys.
Marc Dillembourg
Marc Dillembourg is a Bachelor of Law (1998). Intership at LOVELL WHITE DURRANT. Graduated from a special 6-months course in management & business administration (SOLVAY PME - 2004). Trained in QC & QM at EFMQ (2006). Highlights : Three years at the European Commission (DG INFSO, Future and Emerging Technologies unit) in charge of legal issues. Three years as Administrative Coordinator & Quality Coordinator at EFPME, a vocational training center (60 professions, 500 teachers & 5000 students). Three years as Administrative Coordinator at IMPACT COOREMANS (training, research & study centre offering postgraduate cycles & lifelong learning courses in company auditing, accounting, logistics, human resources management, international trade, etc...). In March 2010, he joined CTMA’s mycology unit, which focuses on environmental fungi and developped production of freeze dried, gamma inactivated, fungal raw material for use in allergy research & treatment. Currently operational manager of the unit.
Jérôme Ambroise, Ir, PhD
Jérôme Ambroise received his Master of Science in Chemical Engineering in 2006 and his Master of Advanced Studies in Statistics, Biostatistics and Epidemiology in 2007. He performed his Ph.D thesis of Engineering from 2007 to 2011 in the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM) and in Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC) at Université catholique de Louvain. Since 2012, he is working as researcher logistician within IREC and his research mainly focuses on signal processing and biostatistical analysis of biological data generated from molecular technologies such as Microarray, pyrosequencing, and Next Generation Sequencing.
Jamal Badir
Jamal Badir works with Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC) at Université catholique de Louvain. His work focuses on research methods in molecular biology.
Mostafa Bentahir, PhD
Dr. Mostafa Bentahir holds a Ph.D in biological sciences since Mai 2000. He joined afterwards much known academic research institutions in Leuven and Ghent where he managed several scientific research projects in the field of infectious diseases and contributed significantly in their success.
Within CTM/DLD-BIO infrastructure, Dr. Mostafa Bentahir is currently using his background and expertise acquired during the last ten years to generate bacterial and viral models mimicking biological warfare pathogens. These models are mandatory to study and simulate security break that could arise from intentional release of a biological warfare agent in the nature.
Bertrand Bearzatto, PhD
Bertrand Bearzatto obtained a PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences from the laboratory of neurophysiology of Professor Schiffmann at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. During his thesis he developed different population of transgenic mice to study of the role of calcium binding protein in cerebellar physiology.
Since January 2006 he is working has researcher logistician at the CTMA where he gained an extensive experience in sample processing of precious clinical tissue specimens for diagnostic. The aims of his research are the development of new diagnostic test based on high throughput molecular biology technologies (Microarrays and Next Generation Sequencing). Since 2014, B Bearzatto develops and manages the next-generation sequencing platform at CTMA.
Michèle Bouyer
Michèle Bouyer received her Bachelor in 1986. She worked as technician for Defense Laboratories (DLD) since 1987.
Until 1996, she worked in the Toxicology Laboratory where she performed animals cells cultures, biochemical and toxicity tests.
She joined the CTMA since 1996.
Her work focuses on detection and identification of pathogens micro-organisms using molecular methods.
Dennys Cruz-Mitjans
Graduated in 2013 from ESBU Antonio Guiteras (Cuba) & then served in the cuban military. Became a member of CTMA’s mycology unit technical staff in october 2015.
Preparing culture media, cleaning labware, helping with the plowing & harvesting of environmental Fungi. Fluent in Spanish & French. Computer-literate. Received in-house training..
Olga Cruz-Mitjans
Olga Maria Cruz-Mitjans is a laboratory technician who's graduated in 1984, Cuba, where she worked as a laboratory technician for the Ministry of Public Health until she moved to Belgium in 2002. She spent three years at Johnson Mattey (preparing metal based catalyst solutions used in the automotive industry to control harmful emissions - preparation of controls & standards, pH-metry, densitometry, etc...). In 2009, she underwent additional training in biotechnologies (cell culture, agarose gel analysis, blood analysis, chemical & serological analysis). She joined CTMA’s mycology unit shortly after and received training in environmental fungi. In 2015, she received training in protein extraction & dosage.
Yann Deccache
Yann Deccache received his MSc in Biology at the University of Namur in 2002. An internship in the laboratory of Pr. Vidal at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, USA) has allowed him to work on the yeast two-hybrid technology to study protein-protein interactions in C. elegans. In 2003, he worked in Cell Biology Laboratory of University of Namur on a project that monitored the response of tumor cells under hypoxia conditions. Since 2004, he joined the CTMA / DLD-Bio team. His projects aimed to develop molecular tests targeting mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics in bacteria potentially involved in bioterrorism. In 2015, he was part of the Ebola B-Life / B-FAST mission in Guinea.
Cathy Delcorps
Cathy Delcorps received her bachelor in clinical chemistry in 1998.
From 1998 to 2009 she worked as researcher for UCL at the CTMA.
Since 2009 she has worked as researcher for Royal Military Academy of Belgium, at the CTMA. Her work has focused on the detection of pathogens by molecular biology technics.
Huguette Delhez
Huguette Delhez is holder of a graduate in Biochemistry (1976).
She got her subject of dissertation at the veterinary Institute of Brussels in toxicology department. Her first job was in the chemical industry by Diamond Schamrock Europe in the microbiology department (three years). For her second job she worked ten years in fundamental research for Professor T. Boon at the Institute Ludwig for Cancer Research.
She used a lot of techniques : immunology, serology, biochemistry, and the begin of the molecular biology with all the fundamentals techniques.
From the fundamental research she switched to the Clinical University Saint Luc for helping to build up a Molecular Biology laboratory. Her first function was to give her technical knowledge for the thesis of Ph.D (1989 -1994).
Since 1996 she has worked in the same department for Pr. J.-L.Gala. Her principal function is a biological test “FASAY” (Functional Analysis of Separated Allele in Yeast), a simple P53 assay for screening cell lines, blood and tumors. She learned this test from Professor R.D. Iggo, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research. She has also supervised future Ph.D in this field for the technical laboratory. Her second subject is the screening of retinoblastoma gene RB1.
Since 2009 she has worked with Pharmacology and Oncology team for clinical analyses.
Christelle Demaret
Christelle Demaret graduated in translation from the Institut Cooremans where she studied English and Russian.
After having worked for Digital Equipment from 1988 to 1990 she joined Erasme Hospital in 1990 and a few years later the Université Libre de Bruxelles where she was the director’s personal assistant in the Institute for Medical Immunology in Charleroi. She joined the Université catholique de Louvain and the Center for Applied Molecular Technologies as management assistant in 2014.
Catherine Dumont
Catherine Dumont received his MSc in Biology Sciences (Molecular, cellular and human biology) in 2006.
Since 2007 she is working as a researcher at the Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA) through a military funding and her work has focused on assays development for the detection and/or identification of bacterial and viral pathogens mostly by molecular technologies.
She is also involved in the “Ligh Fieldable Laboratory” project and she was a member of the B-Fast/B-Life Team for the strike against Ebola.
Jean-François Durant
Jean-Francois Durant is a molecular biologist (Masters in Biomedical Experimental Sciences, Specialization in Medical and Veterinary Mycology), with 16-years’ experience in the development and validation of methods for rapid medical diagnostics. His experience covers the fields of: molecular techniques (PCR, real-time PCR, cloning, sequencing, pyrosequencing and NGS), scientific writing, teaching and training post-graduates. He is author and co-author of 9 publications in medical and environmental microbiology journals. He is currently a researcher in the Centre of Applied Molecular Technologies of Jean-Luc Gala at the UCL where he is in charge of projects aiming at (1) the molecular detection and identification of bacteria, fungi, helminths involved in human and animal diseases; (2) the establishment and the continuous improvement of a light fieldable laboratory; and (3) the daily management of a service activities dedicated to the design of qPCR assays.
Michel Heusterspreute, PhD
Michel Heusterpreute received M. Sc. In Chemistry in 1977. After having worked in biochemistry he completed a doctoral thesis in Biochemistry and received a Ph.D. thesis in 1981.
From 1981 to 1988 he worked as researcher in molecular biology in ICP and from 1988 to 1992 as researcher in the virology laboratory. As from 1992 Michel has worked in molecular biology LBCM (future CTMA) mainly using PCR technology and DNA sequencing analysis to find DNA mutations and several pathologies.
Oumaïma Lakcher
Oumaïma Lakcher received her master Bioengineer in Agricultural Sciences in 2011, and an advanced master in Biotechnology and Applied Biology in 2014. After filling short-term functions as a laboratory technician, she's working as a technical expert for Defense Laboratories (DLD) since 2017. Her work focuses on assays development for the detection and/or identification of bacterial and viral pathogens by molecular technologies.
Auxane Ladang, Ir
Auxane Ladang received her Master in Biomedical Civil Engineering in September 2015 at the University of Liège. During her Master’s thesis, she studied microfluidics and their applications to capillary-based bioadhesion in a biomimicry perspective. Afterwards, she worked for several months in a laboratory for a food testing company in New-Zealand. Since December 2016, she's working as a research assistant for the ALLERT Project where she's in charge of image processing. Her work is focused on the microarray segmentation based on images acquired from Lateral-Flow-ImmunoAssays.
Jean-Paul Marcel, Ir
Jean-Paul MARCEL graduated in 1982 from the Royal Military Academy (Brussels) as MSc Eng. (Ir) in Mechanical Systems and Engineering and in 1988 from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées (ENSTA) – Paris (France) as Naval Architect in 1988.
Its first operational appointment was at sea for two years as technical officer on board of a frigate. Than he occupied different positions from naval shipbuilding projects manager up to Director of Naval project Division, Head of naval material resources section. Its last position was R&T Director of the Belgian Ministry of Defense.
From 1988 up to 2015 he was Associated Professor at the Royal Military Academy, teaching Ship Theory and Architecture.
In June 2012, he retired from the Belgian Defense with the rank of Captain Navy (Colonel) and started at CTMA a second life, as civilian, first as project manager of the ESA B-LiFE project. Since july 2013, he occupies the position of CTMA Platform Manager.
Anne-Sophie Piette, PhD, Ir
Anne-Sophie Piette, (Ir., PhD) graduated in bioengineering at the Université catholique de Louvain (2006) before obtaining a doctorate in bioengineering at the same University (2010), where she developed skills in molecular biology, microbiology and biochemistry. As a researcher, she is attached to the Bio-Department of Defense Laboratories (CTMA/DLD-Bio) since June 2011 and is in charge of a research project on the development of a multiplexing assay for identifying biological pathogens under operational conditions.
Benjamin Smits
Benjamin Smits is a laboratory technician. He studied for 3 years in Institute Paul Lambin in Brussels then got his Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Pathology. Since late 2014 he has been working at the CTMA as lab technician on a BioWin research project based on immunology, ELISAs and rapid tests.
Moreover, Benjamin is also part of the B-Life Team, leading and operating a light fieldable laboratory that was deployed in Guinea for three months during the last Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Captain Béatrice Sulka, PhD
Béatrice Sulka obtained her PhD degree in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology in France (2005-2008). During her international scientific mobility post-doctoral position in Belgium (2009-2011), she gained a broad experience on applied molecular and cellular epigenetics. She joined the Belgian Army in 2011. As a staff officer, she was in charge of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment acquisition according to public procurement related legislation and guidelines. In 2016, she joined CTMA/DLD-Bio where her research projects focus on man-made, natural, accidental or deliberate biological threats within the framework of CBRN hazard.
Stéphane Van Cauwenberghe
After a bachelor in Medical Laboratory at Paul Lambin Institute (IPL), Stéphane achieved a master in Biomedical Sciences at Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) in 2011. He works as a laboratory expert for the DLD-Bio since 2012 on diverses projects: bacteriology, molecular biology, DNA sequencing. In 2015, Stéphane was part of the B-Life/B-Fast mission second shift which worked five weeks in Guinea as a laboratory support for an Ebola disease treatment center during the virus outbreak.
Aleksandr Vybornov, Ir
Alexander Vybornov, Ir, M.Sci, is an Engineer in Telecommunications. In 1997 he graduated from Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics with a Master of Sciences degree in Radioengineering.
Main professional interests: mobile radio and wireless access networks design, optimization of the designed and existing communication networks, digital communication systems: PMR systems, cellular networks, microwave systems.
Since 2017 he joined CTMA as an expert in telecommunication systems for B-LIFE - Biological Light Fieldable Laboratory for Emergencies – Phase II /Demonstration Phase/ESA IAP/ARTES20.
Olga Vybornova, PhD
Olga Vybornova, PhD, is a senior researcher at UCL-CTMA since 2012. With the PhD degree in computational semantics obtained in 2002, and the background in artificial intelligence and knowledge engineering her main research interests are in the field of ICT for crisis management and security applications, development of domain models (ontologies), definition and representation of data flows and semantic interoperability between system components, multi-source multi-format data integration, decision making support.