Xavian van Loon
Research:
Anthracyclines are highly effective anticancer drugs, but their lack of tumor specificity causes significant damage to healthy tissues, leading to both short- and long-term side effects, including cardiotoxicity and organ damage. Enhancing the therapeutic performance of anthracyclines therefore requires improved blood circulation, reduced off-target toxicity, and increased tumor accumulation and penetration. In my research, I will investigate nanomedicines, including polymer-drug conjugates synthesized with single-chain polymer nanoparticles or polysarcosines, to improve tumor targeting, penetration, and selective drug release. Ultimately, my goal is to increase therapeutic efficacy while reducing off-target toxicity and minimizing side effects, thereby improving the post-treatment quality of life of cancer patients.
Curriculum Vitae:
I obtained both my Bachelor’s degree in Biology and my Master’s degree in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology from Leiden University. During my Bachelor’s research project, I investigated plastic-degrading enzymes in bacteria at the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL). In my first Master’s research project, I studied the role of phase separation in the polar growth of filamentous Actinomycetes at the IBL. In my second research project, I conducted research on the molecular mechanisms underlying a bacterial anti-phage defense system at Delft University of Technology. In addition, I participated in iGEM, the world's largest synthetic biology competition, as Lab Manager for the iGEM Leiden 2025 team. In July 2026, I joined the Chemical Immunology Lab as a PhD candidate.
