Ing. Claudia de Dood
Research:
In my current work I focus on detection of a pathogen-specific biomarker (CAA) for diagnosis of Schistosoma infection; the disease caused by infection with this parasitic flatworm is Bilharzia. It affects over 200 million people worldwide in Africa, Asia and South-America. In collaboration with dept. Parasitology (dr. Govert van Dam), we developed a lateral flow (LF) test able to detect a single worm. This was recently applied at LUMC to monitor a controlled human infection study (dr. Meta Roestenberg, dept. Infectious Diseases). The test is applicable on blood and urine, and is based on quantitative LF, immunochromatography using a unique luminescent reporter (upconverting particles, UCP). It is needed to identify infection, assess drug efficiency and monitor transmission-top or elimination settings. Noticed by the major schistosomiasis health- and organisations and research alliances, the test has major attention. Besides being a reference laboratory, we produce >>10.000 tests per year which are used worldwide in international research collaborations.
Other projects that I’m involved in are detection of human biomarker signatures (mycobacterial induced cell-mediated and humoral responses) and trough level determination of immunotherapeutics.
Curriculum Vitae:
In 2001 I’ve received my Bachelor degree in Medical Biology at the HLO faculty of Natural Science and Technology at the Hogeschool Utrecht. From 2001-2004 I’ve been employed at TNO Leiden in the Department of Prevention and Healthcare. In 2005 I started at LUMC as a lab technician in the dept. of Parasitology (research group dr. Govert van Dam) developing Lateral Flow tests for Schistosomiasis and Tuberculosis using carbon and colloid gold reporters. In 2007 I moved to my present position at CCB, in the department previously called Molecular Cell Biology (research group dr. ir. Paul Corstjens) where I continued this work using a novel highly sensitive reporter technology (UCP).
