The Team

Group Leader

Prof. Dr. Vitor B. Pinheiro

After a PhD in Bacterial pathogenesis at University of Cambridge with Prof. David Ellar, I did 7 years of post-doctoral work at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge with Dr. Phil Holliger. I have started my independent research career at UCL and Birkbeck in 2013 and moved to KU Leuven in September 2018.

Post-doctoral researchers

Dr. Rinaldo Montalvao

Protein rational design

Dr. Anupama

XNA molecular biology

Doctoral students

Mr. Santiago Chaillou

XNA applications

Mr. Donaat Kestemont

XNA ligases in collaboration with Prof. Jef Rozenski

Ms. Paola Handal

XNA polymerases

Mr. Shamal Withanage

New antimicrobials

Ms. Katarzyna Malczewska

XNA polymerases with Prof. Johan Robben

Ms. Kiyo Costa Higuchi

XNA polymerases

Research Assistants

Dr. Hoai Nguyen

Master and undergraduate students

Ms. Nathalie Smeets

Biocontainment

Mr. Wout Hannes

Selection platforms

Mr. Michiel Van Cruysse

Machine learning

Ms. Rosa-Maria Määttälä

Protein engineering with Prof. Arnout Voet