Daniëlle Swinkels

Scientific background

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I grew up in a small city in the Netherlands (Handel), but later moved to Belgium (Leuven) to pursue my bachelor and master’s degree in Drug design and development. Afterwards, I obtained my PhD degree in the same university (KU Leuven, Belgium), under the supervision of Prof. Myriam Baes. During my doctoral studies, I investigated the underlying cause for blindness in a peroxisomal disorder and how lipids are involved in this. Additionally, I tested the efficacy of a lipid compound in delaying/preventing the retinal degeneration in a mouse model with a peroxisomal disorder. These experiences made me fascinated with rare inherited retinal disorders and the pivotal role that lipids play in these diseases. Therefore, I am very excited to embark on my next scientific adventure as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Molecular Therapies for Inherited Retinal and Neurometabolic Diseases group. Here, I will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the role of lipids in other lipid-related retinal disorders, such as Sjögren Larsson Syndrome and Stargardt disease.

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Hobbies outside science

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After a long week at work, I love letting loose with some thrilling outdoor adventures like mountain biking, cycling, canoeing and hiking. But when the weather doesn't cooperate, you'll often find me binge-watching Netflix. And if you ever visit my place, you'll discover my green thumb passion—I grow my own vegetables in my backyard garden and put them to good use by throwing dinner parties for my loved ones.

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