Sarah Weckhuysen, MD, PhD – University of Antwerp in Belgium
Sarah Weckhuysen, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, with expertise in clinical epileptology and genetic research. A neurologist by training, she has worked at several renowned epilepsy centers, including the Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe (Netherlands), Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière (Paris, France), and currently the University Hospital of Antwerp. She obtained her PhD in genetics of epileptic encephalopathies under the mentorship of Prof. P. De Jonghe, who discovered the de novo SCN1A mutations responsible for Dravet Syndrome in 2001. Since 2018, Sarah has led the epilepsy research team at the VIB Center for Molecular Neurology in Antwerp. Her research focuses on identifying novel genes and mechanisms underlying epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders, with a particular emphasis on developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs). Utilizing state-of-the-art multi-omics approaches, her group has contributed to the discovery of several new disease genes and advancements in disease characterization. To bridge genetic discoveries with therapeutic progress, her team uses iPSC-derived neuronal cultures and brain organoids to model these disorders, aiming to uncover disease mechanisms and develop targeted treatments for neurodevelopmental epilepsies.
