students
I’ve had the privilege of guiding students through diverse research experiences across a range of topics, as highlighted below. If you’re an aspiring student eager to collaborate, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
NEW WORKSHOP AVAILABLE!
As part of a recent initiative I am experimenting with, I developed a short online workshop targeted at researchers and regulators interested in behavioural ecotoxicology research. In this workshop, I outline best practices for reporting and evaluating the reliability and relevance of behavioural ecotoxicity studies. This initiative is an offshoot of the EthoCRED evaluation framework project (led by Asst. Prof. Michael Bertram and co-developed by myself and many others). The framework is aimed at facilitating the integration of non-standard studies on the behavioural effects of chemical pollution into regulatory frameworks and environmental protection measures (soon to be published, stay tuned!).
Researchers or regulators interested in this workshop can enlist by contacting me, after which I will organize the workshop in small groups.
PhD students
Nichole Donough (2023–present)
North-West University, South Africa and KU Leuven, Belgium
Nichole’s PhD project delves into the complexities of multi-stressor environments, recognising that wildlife, like the remarkable Nothobranchius killifish, often face a blend of challenges. Her research centers on these keystone species and the temporary pool systems they inhabit across aridity gradients in south-east Africa. Nichole unravels the intricate connections between hydrological variations, parasite infestations, and chemical pollutants, shedding light on how these stressors affect killifish behaviour, reproductive success, and overall survival, along with their broader ecological consequences. I co-supervise Nichole together with Prof. Luc Brendonck (KU Leuven, Belgium), Prof. Victor Wepener (North-West University, South Africa), and Prof. Nico Smit (North-West University, South Africa) as part of a VLIR-UOS TEAM project.
Lomarie Janse van Rensburg (2023–present)
North-West University, South Africa and KU Leuven, Belgium
Lomarie’s PhD project is dedicated to deepening our understanding of temporary pond ecosystems. Her research encompasses comparative investigations that include the captivating Nothobranchius furzeri and other temporary pond inhabitants like fairy shrimps. Through her work, she is unraveling how killifish and fairy shrimps interact with each other, as well as their relationships with other species across climate-related gradients in south-east Africa. Lomarie aims to enhance the significance of N. furzeri as a model system in ecotoxicology and chemical risk assessments, contributing to the broader goal of sustainable waterway management in South Africa. I co-supervise Lomarie together with Prof. Luc Brendonck (KU Leuven, Belgium), Prof. Victor Wepener (North-West University, South Africa), and Prof. Nico Smit (North-West University, South Africa) as part of a VLIR-UOS TEAM project.
Nicole Goede (2023–present)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Nicole is delving deep into the mechanisms through which temperature shapes the development of aquatic ectotherms. Her research centres on African clawed frogs, zebrafish, and annual killifish, using a blend of live imaging, advanced image analysis, and machine learning to unveil temperature’s impact on early embryonic development and to understand how ecological and evolutionary factors govern this process. Nicole’s work unveils a fundamental, yet enigmatic, aspect of life while enhancing our ability to predict how species may respond to future scenarios of climate change. I co-supervise Nicole alongside Prof. Luc Brendonck and Prof. Lendert Gelens (both from KU Leuven, Belgium), in an exciting interdisciplinary collaboration spanning the Department of Biology and the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.
predoctoral STUDENTS
Yusuph Aron Kafula (Oct 2018 – Feb 2019)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Yusuph embarked on his academic journey during his predoctoral program at KU Leuven (Belgium), during which he prepared for his joint PhD project between KU Leuven and Nelson Mandela – African Institution of Science and Technology (Tanzania). Afterwards, I had the privilege of supporting Yusuph during his PhD as a member of his PhD supervisory committee, as he delved into the impact of land use and pesticide exposure on the structure and functioning of temporary pond ecosystems in the Lake Manyara basin. In recognition of his outstanding work, Yusuph’s PhD was conferred in 2023. Today, he continues to share his expertise as a lecturer at Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology.
Research interns
Birgit Vanden Berghen (2019–2020)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Birgit initially joined our lab at KU Leuven during her Master’s program, where she conducted her thesis on invertebrate communities in temporary wetlands across south-east Africa under the guidance of Prof. Luc Brendonck and Dr. Tom Pinceel. Following her thesis, Birgit continued her journey with us, contributing to a study that explored the impact of antidepressant exposure on the somatic growth and geotaxic behaviour of annual killifish. She also contributed to the care and husbandry of these killifish at the central KU Leuven breeding facility, expertise that she later shared with our colleagues at North-West University, South Africa.
Dongjin Kim (Jul–Sept 2019)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Dongjin joined our team during his Master of Sustainable Development program at KU Leuven, seeking an internship opportunity. Throughout his internship, Dongjin primarily focused on the rearing of killifish and, additionally, he contributed to a study that aimed to investigate the effects of antidepressant exposure on daily activity rhythms in annual killifish. Inspired by his internship, Dongjin extended his stay with us, dedicating his efforts to a Master thesis project that sought to unravel the behavioural impacts of pharmaceutical pollution in the context of various climate change scenarios, using killifish as a model organism.
Leen Felix (Jun–Aug 2018)
KU Leuven, Belgium
During her internship, Leen played an important role in our ecotoxicological experiments, where we explored the effects of pharmaceutical pollutants on the behaviour and life history of annual killifish. Leen sifted through countless hours of video recordings, contributing significantly to streamlining our workflow for accurately assessing the geotaxic behaviour of these fish.
Tom Jensma (2017–2018)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Tom joined us from Hanze University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands. During his internship, Tom actively participated in a range of ecotoxicological experiments designed to uncover the behavioural effects of antidepressant exposure on annual killifish. His contributions were particularly focused on assessing daily activity rhythms, a phenomenon that has long been overlooked in ecotoxicology.
David Alila (Oct 2015 – Feb 2016)
KU Leuven, Belgium
David Alila enrolled in an internship and predoctoral program at KU Leuven (Belgium), dedicated to shaping research plans that advance our understanding of the ecology of African annual killifish. Specifically, David’s aim was to explore the combined impacts of climate change and aquatic pollution on annual killifish that serve as crucial control agents of malaria mosquitoes in Tanzania. During this time, David also participated in our ecotoxicological work and contributed to the care and husbandry of killifish in our breeding facilities.
MASTER students
Ella Koninckx (2023–present)
TRANSfarm KU Leuven, Belgium
Project: You are what you eat: increasing the performance and welfare of farmed fish through better nutrition
Yosquin Gilbos (2020–2021)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Project: Automated behavioural phenotyping of killifish for ecotox applications
Dongjin Kim (2019–2020)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Project: Emerging contaminants in a changing world: the impact of antidepressant exposure and changed patterns of daily temperature fluctuation across multiple generations of turquoise killifish
Lisa Mannaerts (2018–2019)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Project: Personality and behavioural changes under chronic fluoxetine treatment in the fairy shrimp Branchipodopsis wolfi
Floor van Hooreweghe (2018–2019)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Project: Behavioural effects of fluoxetine and 3,4-DCA on the killifish Nothobranchius furzeri: a multigenerational study
Bram de Rijck (2017–2018)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Project: Effects of fluoxetine exposure on behavioural traits and diel activity pattern in the novel model organism Nothobranchius furzeri
Liesa Celie (2017–2018)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Project: Effects of rearing density and environmental enrichment on behavioural expression of adult turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri)
Laure Steenaerts (2016–2017)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Project: Behaviour and personality traits in the short-lived killifish Nothobranchius furzeri and its applications for behavioural ecotoxicology
bachelor students
Quentin Robeyns (2020–2021)
Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium
Topic: Algae cultivation on waste/side streams
Guy Woestenburg (2020–2021)
Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium
Topic: Algae cultivation on waste/side streams
Niel Meeus (2020–2021)
Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium
Topic: Algae cultivation on waste/side streams
Yoa Beumer (2019–2020)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Topic: Killifish stress ecology (warming, pollution)
Anton Bilsen (2018–2019)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Topic: Killifish behavioural ecotoxicology
Abdullah Mohammad (2017–2018)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Topic: Killifish behavioural ecotoxicology
Thomas Verbaanderd (2017–2018)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Topic: Killifish behaviour / ecology
Robert Smith (2016–2017)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Topic: Killifish behavioural ecotoxicology
Elise Vissenaekens (2015–2016)
KU Leuven, Belgium
Topic: Killifish classic ecotoxicology