Elke De Bruyne

Elke De Bruyne is a Senior Research Professor and Principal Investigator at the Hematology and Immunology (HEIM) research group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). She holds a faculty position since 2018 and supervises 6 PhD students. Her work focuses on multiple myeloma pathobiology, epigenetic regulation, and therapeutic strategies targeting the bone marrow niche. She is internationally recognized for her pioneering work with syngeneic murine 5TMM models and collaborations on exosome-based therapies.

Education: PhD in Biomedical Sciences (VUB, under Profs. Van Camp and Vanderkerken). Postdoctoral FWO Fellowships (2003–2018). Current research emphasizes epigenetic defects in myeloma progression, drug resistance mechanisms, and metabolomic vulnerabilities. Collaborations include Prof. Moreaux (Montpellier) and Prof. Zimmermann (KUL).

Research interests include: Multiple Myeloma Biology, Epigenetic Modulation, Bone Marrow Microenvironment, Exosome Therapy, and Biomarker Development. Over 194 publications with 3,355 citations (h-index 35).

Awards include ASH Abstract Achievement Award (2012), Best Poster Presentation (ASH 2024), and BHS Award (2020). Active roles in FWO MED3 panel (2020–present) and KomOpTegenKanker scientific committee (2015–present).

Key projects: Exosome-based RAS targeting (ANI302), DNMT3B therapeutic targeting (FWOTM1019), and metabolomic vulnerabilities (ANI365). Recent work includes blood-derived cell-free DNA as a biomarker (2025) and DNMT3B's role in MYC regulation (2025).