Thomas Kok
RESEARCH:
I support and assist with the research focused on cardiovascular regeneration within the group. One of the projects I’m working on is how we can make use of exosomes, a type of extracellular vesical, to induce cardiac repair.
CURRICULUM VITAE:
I studied at the university of applied sciences in Leiden (Hbo Biology and medical lab research) from 2018 to 2022. In the last year of my study, I did my graduation internship also in Goumans Lab. During this internship, I worked on creating a model to maintain, expand and differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to endothelial cells. The iPSCs were either diseased with Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or healthy wild-type iPSCs. FOP, is a rare genetic disorder in which fibrous tissue, such as tendons, muscles and ligaments, are gradually ossified, forming bone outside the skeleton. This results in complications with mobility, leading to limited or complete immobilization. PAH, a progressive disorder in which obstruction of the pulmonary arterioles is caused by endothelial dysfunction and uncontrolled proliferation of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts of the pulmonary artery. This will eventually lead to right ventricular failure. I was able to create a working in vitro model for FOP iPSCs.
After my internship, I started working in December 2022 as a research technician in the group of Marie-josé Goumans.
