Claude Libert

Claude Libert is a Full Professor at Ghent University since 2012 and VIB Group leader since 1997. He leads the Claude Libert Lab at the Center for Inflammation Research, focusing on molecular mechanisms of inflammatory diseases using mouse and rat models.

His research interests span multiple interconnected fields including Immunology & Inflammation, Cancer Biology, Human diseases, Computational biology, and Microbiology. His work particularly emphasizes understanding the complex molecular pathways involved in sepsis progression and host-pathogen interactions in the gut.

Libert's recent research has identified a significant breakthrough in sepsis treatment, demonstrating that vitamin B1 (thiamine pyrophosphate) can restore mitochondrial energy metabolism, reduce lactate production, and improve survival rates in sepsis models. This work was published in Cell Reports and represents a promising new direction for treating this deadly condition that affects 30 million people annually.

His laboratory maintains three major research thrusts: investigating metabolic reprogramming in sepsis, studying host-pathogen interplay between gut microbes and Paneth cells, and analyzing naturally occurring alleles in mouse genomes across 40 deep-sequenced strains.