Jianbo Zhang, PhD

Principle Investigator

Tenure-track Assistant Professor

Jianbo obtained his PhD in Health Science and Technology at ETH Zurich (2018), a Master degree in Biophysics (2014), and a Bachelor degree in Bioengineering (2011). Before joining UvA IN 2021, he did his postdoc training (Linda Griffith group) at MIT. His research group focuses on deciphering the molecular dialogues between gut microbiota, their host, and the environment by developing and applying advanced animal-free models.

Marco Lezzerini, PhD

Technical staff

Marco holds a PhD in Biology of Aging from the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and BSc degree in Biological Sciences, and MSc in Genetics and Molecular Biology degree from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”  (Italy). His supporting technical expertise includes cell and organoid lines culture, C. elegans handling and manipulation, and molecular techniques in molecular biology.

Inês Parente, PhD

Postdoc researcher

Inês holds a PhD in Drug Sciences from the Università degli Studi di Parma (Italy), a MSc degree in Biotechnology and a BSc degree in Biochemistry from the University of Minho (Portugal). Her research focuses on host-microbiome-nutrient interactions in the human gut.

Yangwei Shan, MSc

PhD candidate

Yangwei obtained a MSc in Food Science at Jinan University (Guangzhou, China). During his previous study, he developed an interest in nutrients and gut microbes. His research focuses on the effects of human-milk oligosaccharides on the infant gut microbiota, elucidating molecular mechanism underlying the interactions among microorganisms.

Virginia Bruno, MSc

PhD candidate

Virginia holds a MSc in Biomedical Sciences from Maastricht University. As undergraduate student she became interested in the potential of advanced in vitro models. Her research focuses on developing advanced in vitro gut models to study host-mycobiome crosstalk in IBD, focusing on disease modeling and understanding the mechanisms underlying the gut epithelial barrier dysfunction and visceral hypersensitivity. 

Aliki Antoniou, MSc

PhD candidate

Aliki completed her BSc in Biology at the University of Hohenheim. During her studies, she developed a deep interest in how bacteria influence human health. This passion led her to pursue an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Leiden University. Her PhD research focuses on how maternal factors influence the metabolic functions of early-life gut microbiota and the impact of these changes on gut epithelium and immune function during infancy.

Mirena Sakaj, PhD

Postdoc researcher (WUR)

Eloise Bouges

PhD candidate (SCK-CEN)