Rik Gijsbers

Rik Gijsbers is a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of KU Leuven, leading the Viral Vector Technology & Gene Therapy subdivision within the Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences. He actively participates in doctoral school committees, faculty councils, and departmental boards.

• Research Focus: Viral vectors, gene therapy, gene editing, molecular imaging, and ATMP development
• Teaching: Advanced Biotherapeutics, Pharmacogenomics, Precision Medicine, and Biomedical Research Techniques

Research Highlights:

• Developing CRISPR-based therapies for cystic fibrosis and cystinosis
• Engineering viral vectors for rare disease treatments
• Investigating neurodegeneration using iPSCs and organoid models
• Advancing membrane chromatography platforms for viral vector purification

Collaborative Projects target drug-resistant GAD-related epilepsies, Prader-Willi syndrome, and congenital myasthenic syndrome. His work spans preclinical models to clinical translation frameworks.

Supervision: Co-supervises multiple PhD candidates in gene therapy and rare disease research.