Mrs. Hanne Leysen

Welcome to my SciProfile page. I am a biomedical scientist at the receptor biology lab (University of Antwerp) with a big heart for science communication. My ambition is to find effective treatments for age-related diseases to extend the health span and lower our healthcare costs. Currently I am investigating G protein-coupled receptor signaling, so that more efficacious drugs can be developed. During my PhD research, I gained expertise in cell culture, HPLC, mass spectrometry, proteomics and bioinformatic data analysis. I highly enjoy collaborating with scientists from different disciplines to develop new drugs and solve challenges. One of my favorite phrases (that I have learned from my mentor) relates to communication (in all its aspects). This phrase says, as far as communication goes ’it’s not what you say, it’s what people hear’. This I feel indicates the importance of understanding how one’s message impacts an audience. Therefore I actively seek to reach out through blog posts, presentations and videos, to refine my communication skills. As I believe that scientific breakthroughs are often based on human connections and discussions I really hope that this experience will be the start of some great new research discoveries.