My scientific interests on understanding the external cues regulating cancer malignancy stem from early on in my scientific training, with the realization that despite the groundbreaking discoveries of oncogenes and tumor suppressors, effective therapeutic options are still limited. That is because tumor progression relies on more than genomic alterations, and cancers evolve within a complex tissue microenvironment. Thus, to impact therapeutic outcome, our understanding of cancer dynamics and diversity must not solely view cancer cells as the fundamental unit, but as part of an integrated and reactive system centered around heterotypic communication with their environment. To understand tissue-level complexity, I have sought to diversify my skills and expertise throughout my training in an effort to determine the multifactorial cues that underlie tumor behavior. I come from a diverse and multidisciplinary scientific background that ranges from immunology and parasitology, to virology and cancer biology. My personal background is also quite diverse, with roots in Africa and the Middle East, and I have lived in the south of France, England, New York City, Switzerland and now Amsterdam. During these experiences, I have enjoyed meeting new friends, discovering different life styles and culture, and learning how to Zumba!

I started my research training in the laboratory of Dr Mauro Piacentini at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, where I performed my M.Sc. working in the field of cell death and cancer biology. I pursued my training in Dr Ula Hibner’s laboratory at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Montpellier (France) as a PhD fellow working on the interplay between hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication and the host innate immunity, in link with liver carcinogenesis. After my PhD, I performed a short post-doctoral training in the laboratory of Pr Fabien Zoulim at the Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (France) working on the impact of hepatitis B virus on liver physiopathology and on the hepatic microenvironment. In September 2017, I joined Dr Leila Akkari’s lab as a postdoctoral scientist/fellow to investigate the role of tumor associated-macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma microenvironment.

Trained as a pharmacist, I chose to orient my career toward translational research and earned a Master’s degree in Cell Biology from the University of Paris Descartes (France) in 2015. I then moved to Brisbane, Australia, to pursue my PhD at the Mater Research Institute in A/Prof Ingrid Winkler’s laboratory. My doctoral research focused on targeting the bone marrow microenvironment to enhance the response of standard chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia.

Since joining the Akkari lab as a postdoctoral fellow in 2020, my work has centered on defining how macrophages drive glioblastoma resistance and recurrence within an evolving metabolic and tumor niche landscape, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic vulnerabilities.

After obtaining my Master’s degree in Radiation Biology from University College London, I moved to Germany to pursue a PhD at Technical University of Dresden in the lab of Prof. Michael Baumann. My doctoral research focused on DNA repair protein expression as biomarkers of radiotherapy response in preclinical mouse models. During a subsequent postdoctoral period in Tubingen University Clinic under the supervision of Prof. Daniel Zips, we translated this work to patient-derived tumor biopsies using ex vivo models.

Driven by a growing interest in tumor microenvironment–mediated therapy resistance, I shifted my research focus. In 2017, supported by a fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG), I joined the group of René Medema at the Netherlands Cancer Institute to study hypoxia-induced quiescence as a mechanism of radiotherapy resistance. 

Since 2023, I have continued this work in the group of Leila Akkari, investigating hypoxia-driven therapy resistance within tumor–host interactions. My current research focuses on the mechanisms that promotes the survival of hypoxic tumor cells and how tumor cells co-evolve to prime macrophages to support post-therapy relapse, with the aim of identifying time-dependent therapeutic vulnerabilities.

I obtained my Bachelor in Biology (2014) and Master in Biology and Health (2016) from the University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France. I then conducted my PhD research at the UNIL-CHUV and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Lausanne, Switzerland (2022) in the lab of Prof. Caroline Arber. I focused on targeting multiple myeloma with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, and study resistance mechanisms to such therapies. I joined the lab of Leila Akkari in August 2022 as a Postdoctoral fellow, where I will study T cell dysfunctions mechanisms and cancer metabolism in glioblastoma.

After obtaining my Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences (Infection & Immunity program, University Utrecht) in 2015, I obtained my PhD degree at Sanquin Research/University of Amsterdam in 2023. My research focused on CD8⁺ tissue-resident memory T cells and exploring their proliferative and cytotoxic potential for therapeutic purposes.

My previous work has sparked and interest in the field of onco-immunology. As a result, I started a postdoctoral fellowship at the VUmc Cancer center Amsterdam, where I got the opportunity to collaborate with Leila Akkari. I joined her lab in March 2025, where I now study immune cell regulations in the (human) glioblastoma tumor microenvironment.

I obtained my MSc in Medical Biotechnology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (Milan, Italy) under the supervision of Prof. Matteo Iannacone, where I investigated the role of Kupffer cells in restoring intrahepatically primed T cells in the context of HBV pathogenesis.

After gaining research experience in Italy, I moved to Belgium to pursue a PhD at the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research (Ghent University) under the supervision of Prof. Charlotte Scott. My doctoral work focused on the origin, identity, and functions of lipid-associated macrophages (LAMs) in the context of acute and chronic liver injury. During my PhD, I spent four months at the Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine (USA), in the laboratory of Prof. Carla Rothlin, where I further investigated macrophage biology in chronic liver disease.

In March 2026, I joined the laboratory of Prof. Leila Akkari as a postdoctoral fellow. My current research focuses on the roles of macrophages in liver and brain cancers, with the goal of overcoming their immunosuppressive functions and unleashing their therapeutic antitumor potential.

I joined the Akkari lab in January 2025 for an eight-month period as a postdoctoral researcher in the role of Roving Scientist on the project of Dr. Johanna Erbani. The Roving Scientist program is a new initiative at the NKI designed to support female scientists' projects during their maternity leave. My research focuses on lipid-laden macrophages (LLMs), a recently identified subset of tumor-associated macrophages that metabolically interacts with glioblastoma cells, promoting malignancy through lipid transfer.

This study explores how macrophages, typically involved in neurodevelopmental processes such as (de)myelination, are hijacked by glioblastoma cells to support a pro-tumorigenic environment.  The research will utilize advanced confocal 3D imaging to analyze these interactions in detail. With extensive experience in cancer research, molecular toxicology, and gene therapy, I am excited to contribute to this novel area of study.

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Human Movement Sciences, followed by a Premaster in Biomedical Sciences, and completed my Master’s degree in Oncology in 2016 at VU University Amsterdam. During my Master’s training, I conducted research internships at the Division of Oncogenetics at Amsterdam UMC (the Netherlands) and in the laboratory of Dr. Michele Pagano at NYU Medical Center (USA). These projects focused on sister chromatid cohesion and on the role of cyclin F in protein degradation, respectively.

In March 2017, I joined the group of Leila Akkari, where my research focuses on the dynamic roles of immune cells in glioblastoma resistance and recurrence.

After graduating as a Technician in 2020, I pursued my MSc in Oncology at the VU University. I joined Dr. Leila Akkari’s lab for my final master internship, where I investigated the effect of the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment on macrophage programming and behavior. As of September 2022, I stayed in Dr. Leila Akkari’s lab as a PhD student. My project aims to investigate the reciprocal interactions between macrophages and glioblastoma cells after therapeutic intervention.

Originally from Greece, I moved to the Netherlands to pursue my studies. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Life Sciences at Radboud University and later on completed the research Master’s in Molecular Mechanisms of Disease at Radboudumc.  During my Master’s, I interned in the labs of Prof. Gosse Adema (Rabdoudumc, the Netherlands) and Dr. Chong Sun (DKFZ, Germany) studying myeloid cell and T cell reprogramming in solid tumors, respectively.  In December 2021, I joined the Akkari lab as a research technician and started my PhD in April 2023. Here, I study the impact of pro-senescence therapy on the liver tumor microenvironment, with the goal of translating these insights into novel therapeutic strategies for primary liver cancer.

During my Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences I chose to specialize in Oncology. I conducted my first internship in the group of Dr. Jeroen Guikema at the AMC where I investigated the role of proteotoxic stress in therapy response in Multiple Myeloma. For my second internship I joined the group of Dr. Leila Akkari where I worked on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Here, I investigated the role of different macrophage populations in the progression of NASH with the goal of identifying novel treatment approaches involving metabolic modulation. In November 2022, I then started as research technician where I continue working on this project while also getting involved in the Glioblastoma research theme of the lab.

After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VA, U.S.A), I am obtaining my Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam with a specialization in Oncology. My previous internships were in the lab of Dr. S. Lima (VCU, U.S.A.) investigating glucosylceramide dysregulation levels in cancer and in the lab of Dr. J. Guikema (AMC, NL) investigating proteotoxic stress in Multiple Myeloma. I am now an intern in Dr. L. Akkari's lab, investigating the relationship between senescent cells and tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma.

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and started the Master’s in Drug Innovation in 2022 at Utrecht University. During my Master’s internship in the lab of Prof. Nijboer at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht, I studied mesenchymal stem cell therapy for hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy. I then joined F. Hoffmann-La Roche in Basel, Switzerland, where I interned in the Immunology department exploring novel therapeutic strategies for sickle cell disease. With solid experience in academic and industry research, I take a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach to advancing the translation of immune-cancer interactions into potential glioblastoma therapies.
I have long been fascinated by the interaction between the immune system and cancer, particularly in the context of the brain. In Leila’s lab, my work focuses on understanding and targeting the tumor vasculature in the brain by dissecting the tumor microenvironment and the roles of key immune players.
Outside the lab, I enjoy playing the guitar, basketball and fitness, as well as exploring new cultures and countries as inspired by my own background. 

I graduated from the Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics at Bahcesehir University, Turkey. After completing my undergraduate studies, I obtained my master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Middle East Technical University, Turkey. In my thesis study, I analyzed the transcriptomic profiles of bacilysin biosynthetic operon silenced mutant of Bacillus subtilis and its parental strain. After my first encounter with immunology during my master’s, it was clear to me that I wanted to continue my academic career in tumor immunology as I developed a strong interest in potential ways to improve current methods of treatment. I joined Dr. Leila Akkari’s research group in October 2022 to investigate the interplay between glioblastoma cells and tumor microenvironment in response to therapy, particularly in the context of tumor-associated macrophages.

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences from the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht. During my bachelor’s internship, I joined the laboratory of Dannis van Vuurden at the Prinses Máxima Centrum in Utrecht, where I investigated the effects of radiosensitizers on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). In addition, I explored strategies to enhance drug delivery to the brain using microbubble-mediated focused ultrasound.
After completing my undergraduate studies, I enrolled in the Master’s program in Oncology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. For my first internship, I joined the laboratory of Jacco van Rheenen at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, where I focused on improving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy by inducing tumor cell senescence using doxorubicin.
To complete my Master’s degree, I conducted my second internship in the laboratory of Leila Akkari, where my research focused on targeting macrophages in glioblastoma. Following this internship, I remained in her group to further develop this work, with a particular emphasis on targeting lipid-laden macrophages using liposome-based strategies.

I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from the University of Applied Sciences in Leiden in 2024. During my studies, I fell in love with the immune system, with the dendritic cell being my (slightly controversial) favourite immune cell.

This didn’t stop me from applying for an internship at the Akkari Lab, where macrophages take centre stage. During my internship, I worked on the impact of pro-senescence therapies on the tumour microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma, a project I very much enjoyed. Funnily enough, my favourite organ is the liver, so it turned out to be a perfect match.

I have since returned as a technician, with murine models as my main area of expertise. I still work on the project I interned on, but I am now involved in several others as well. Working on many different projects has brought me a lot of new knowledge and joy.

Outside the lab, I enjoy crafting (some of which can be spotted around the lab), lifeguarding, hiking and skiing, usually at slightly too high speeds.

I obtained my bachelor’s degree from the University of Applied Sciences Leiden in 2024. During my studies, I specialized in Pathology and Immunology. I greatly enjoyed learning about the immune system, and my favorite cell became the macrophage. I am now able to continue working with my favorite cell.

I completed my final internship in the lab of Jos Jonkers, where I worked on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in invasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC). I investigated the impact of a Gremlin1 antagonist on metastasis.

Currently, I work as a research technician on a Synergy Grant funded by the European Research Council (ERC). This project is a close collaboration between the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Leiden University, and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI). With my expertise in murine models, I support a variety of research projects. My main responsibilities include performing intracranial injections and surgical resections.

In my free time, I love to travel. I consider myself a woman of the world and to stay healthy, you can find me at the gym.

In November 2024, I joined the group of Leila Akkari as a Research Assistant, where I provide bioinformatics support to multiple research lines.

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Life Science and Technology at Leiden University/ TU Delft. My bachelor’s thesis focused on squaramide-based supramolecular hydrogels for 3D cell culture. After completing an exchange program in Neuroscience at The University of Sydney (Australia), I started my Master’s studies in Life Science and Technology at Leiden University. I am currently an intern in Dr. Leila Akkari’s lab, under the daily supervision of Apostolos Menegakis, where we investigate hypoxia-induced cellular quiescence as a factor of radiotherapy resistance.