Geert Raes

Geert Raes is a Staff Scientist and Valorization Manager at the VIB Center for Inflammation Research and the Brussels Center for Immunology (BCIM) at Free University of Brussels (VUB). His research focuses on myeloid cell heterogeneity, nanobody-based imaging agents, and clinical translation of dendritic cell therapies. He co-founded VUB spin-offs Precirix and Abscint.

• Key Affiliations
  • VIB Center for Inflammation Research
  • Brussels Center for Immunology (VUB)
  • Department of Bio-engineering Sciences (VUB)

Research Interests: Geert Raes specializes in phenotypic and functional diversity of myeloid cells, particularly tumor-associated macrophages and dendritic cells. His work involves developing camelid-derived single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) for non-invasive nuclear imaging of immune checkpoints like CD163, TIGIT, and LAG-3 in cancer and inflammatory diseases. Recent projects include optimizing radiolabeled nanobodies for PET/CT applications and exploring lipidomics to enhance macrophage-mediated therapies.

Scientific Contributions: Over his career, Raes has published extensively on nanobody engineering, immune checkpoint imaging, and macrophage-targeted therapies. Notable works include:

• CD163-specific immunotracers for macrophage imaging in tumors
• TIGIT nanobody development for immune checkpoint visualization
• LipoMacs functional lipidomics studies
• Phase I clinical trials of [68Ga]Ga-anti-CD206-sdAb

Scientific Awards:

• Young Speaker Award (2019)
• ESMI Best Oral Presentation (2020)
• Knowledge for Growth Poster Award (2018)

Advising and Grants: Raes has supervised 7 student theses, including doctoral work by Sparkes (2016) and Master's theses on nanobodies for tumor microenvironment modulation. His projects include EU-funded initiatives like INTEGRAL and RAPTOR, focusing on multimodal immunotherapy and bioreactor systems for protein production.