The Blue Growth Research Lab is jointly headed by Prof. Jana Asselman and Prof. Colin Janssen. All PhD students are supervised in collaboration with other research groups to ensure that they can work in a highly multidisciplinary research environment and have access to a wide network of senior research expertise.
Jana Asselman
Professor
Prof. Dr. eng. Jana Asselman is appointed as a research professor at the UGent campus at Ostend Science Park. There, she coordinates multidisciplinary Marine@UGent research facilities and is the vice-chair of the Marine@UGent consortium. Her research focusses on marine biotechnology and biodiscovery, molecular and in vitro toxicology and broad human and environmental health challenges associated with the blue economy. For a more comprehensive view of her research interest and expertise, please visit the research page or her publications.
Colin Janssen
Professor
Prof. Dr. Janssen is full professor of Ecotoxicology and Applied Marine Ecology. He is chair of the Marine@UGent consortium and is promotor of the UGent Industry Research Fund IOF consortium BLUeGhent. His research is focused on ecological risks of anthropogenic and natural stressors in freshwater and marine systems including aspects of evolutionary ecology, ecological risk assessment modelling/procedures. For a more comprehensive view of his research interest and expertise, please visit the research page or his publications.
Senior Researchers
Eveline Diopere
Postdoc
Biotechnology - Molecular Biology
Maaike Vercauteren
Postdoc
Plastic pollution - health
Ilias Semmouri
Postdoc
Marine Ecology - Seaweed - Biomolecules
Sara Vandamme
Postdoc
Sustainability - Ecology
Junior Researchers
Friedel Dewulf
Phd student
Marine Toxines - Immunology
Lotte Janssens
Phd student
Marine Copepods - Epigenetics - Ecology
Wenxin Liu
Phd student
Marine Toxins & Human Health
Guillaume Marec
Phd student
Biodiscovery - Marine Microalgae
Ting Zang
Phd student
Microplastics & Human Health
Iene Herman
Phd student
Marine Copepods - Epigenetics - Ecology
Julia Kinet
Phd student
Sea spray aerosols - physical activity
Zixia Liu
Phd student
Sea spray aerosols - Biogenics - phytoplankton
Marie Sioen
Phd student
Nanoplastics - ecological risk assessment
Dwi Febrianti
Phd student
Microplastics - zooplankton
Silke Lambert
Phd student
Sea spray aerosols - Exposome
Dries Lorre
Phd student
Ecosystem services - Sustainable use
Selamawit Gebremedhin Tekle
Phd student
Microplastics Pollution - Human Health
Supporting Staff
Vicky Pauwelyn
Core Facility Coordinator
Tineke Vanhalewyn
Lab Support & Admin Support
Joint PhD students at other institutions
Mathilde Falcou Préfol
Phd student
UAntwerp: Nanoplastics - Hazard Assessment
Albano Pinto
Phd student
UAVR: neurotoxic effects of cyanotoxins
Jenevieve Hara
Phd student
UAntwerp: Nanoplastics - marine biota
Juliette Grandjean
Phd student
VLIZ - UGent: Microplastics & multiple stressors
Lab Alumni & PhD Graduates
- Dr. Yunmeng Li (PhD, 2025, UGent – UAntwerp -VLIZ): Marine bacteria in sea spray aerosols and their potential immunological effects on human health.
- Dr. Zhiyue Niu (PhD, 2024, UGent – VLIZ): Combined impacts of plastic pollution, from bio-based and petroleum-based polymers, and global warming on the population dynamics of key organisms of coastal and marine ecosystems.
- Dr. Miao Peng (PhD, 2024, UGent): The influence of micro- and nanoplastics on human health: Exploring environmentally relevant scenarios with in vitro human cell lines.
- Dr. Guilherme Jeremias (PhD , 2024, UAVR, co-supervision): Developing epigenetic biomarkers of metal exposure in Daphnia.
- Dr. João Barbosa (PhD, 2023, UGent): Risk assessment of munition dumpsite contamination : understanding the threats to marine ecosystems and human health.
- Dr. Ilias Semmouri (PhD, 2022, UGent): Temporal effects of chemical and physical stressors on marine zooplankton : a molecular approach.