Our group combines medical and biomedical and biotechnical backgrounds to study the early oncological lesions in the gastrointestinal tract using clinical data and/or specimens. We focus two main topics being esophageal physiology and pathology, especially the etiology of Barrett’s esophagus and treatment selection for colorectal lesions through collaboration, digitization and automation. The esophageal work focusses on knowledge generation and aims to increase our understanding of esophageal physiology and pathology. The treatment selection for colorectal lesions is a quality improvement project which is very applicable in clinical practice. The aim is to translate current academic knowledge to the everyday clinical practice and learning how this affects the quality of care.
T1CRC
The T1CRC project revolves around improving the choice of endoscopic resection techniques in patients with advanced and early malignant T1 colorectal polyps. By using Robotic Process Automation to support MDT meetings, we can efficiently collect, store and distribute clinical data, including lesion characteristics and high-quality endoscopic imaging. This structured use of patient data streamlines the MDT discussions and enables us to provide expert recommendations for a large group of patients with T1 colorectal polyps, with a primary focus on organ-preserving endoscopic procedures.
ESMG
I am currently investigating Barrett’s Esophagus (BO) to address the ongoing debate regarding its cellular origins. To achieve this, my project focuses on developing the first human two-dimensional model of esophageal submucosal glands (OSGs). By utilizing this model to test whether OSG stem cells are the true origin of Barrett’s cells, and by characterizing their signaling pathways, we aim to uncover the developmental process of the disease to lay the groundwork for better clinical interventions.