Dr. Sander Lempereur

Biography

Sander Lempereur is a PhD student in Oliver Billker's malaria research group focusing on conducting genome-wide genetic screens at the ookinete stage of Plasmodium berghei development. His academic journey began at KU Leuven, where he graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree in biomedical sciences, emphasizing basic and translational research. His studies inspired a fascination with the potential of genome-wide genetic screens to uncover essential gene functions that help shape cellular processes and identities. This motivation led him to join Oliver Billker's lab as a PhD student in November 2025. The lab's primary goal is to unravel the biology of Plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria. To explore the hidden biology of these parasites, the lab applies genome-scale genetic screens to Plasmodium berghei, a rodent malaria parasite that can be safely and easily studied throughout its full life cycle. These approaches enable an unbiased investigation of thousands of genes in parallel, providing new insights into parasite development, host/mosquito interactions, and potential drug and vaccine targets. In this framework, his PhD project focuses on the mosquito transmission stages of the Plasmodium berghei parasite, particularly the ookinete, with the aim of identifying and characterizing genes essential for the parasite's survival and transmission.

Research Interests

Experience