Lukas van de Sand

RESEARCH

Infectious complications remain one of the leading causes of morbidity and graft dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients. While immunosuppressive therapy is indispensable for preventing allograft rejection, it also impairs virus-specific T-cell immunity and predisposes patients to opportunistic viral infections such as BK polyomavirus (BKV). Current clinical management mainly relies on reducing immunosuppression after viral reactivation, yet reliable biomarkers that predict antiviral immune competence are still lacking.

My research focuses on the immunometabolic regulation of virus-specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses in kidney transplant recipients. By combining high-dimensional spectral flow cytometry, functional T-cell assays, and antigen-specific staining, I aim to identify metabolic pathways that determine effective antiviral immunity under different immunosuppressive regimens. In addition to characterizing BKV-specific T cells in transplant recipients, my work investigates the direct effects of clinically used immunosuppressive drugs on antiviral T-cell metabolism and function.

Ultimately, this translational research seeks to identify novel biomarkers that may improve individualized immunosuppressive strategies and enable earlier risk stratification for virus-associated complications after kidney transplantation.

CURRICULUM VITAE

I studied Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, from October 2017 until November 2024. During my medical studies, I completed an experimental doctoral research year funded by the ELAN Program of the University of Duisburg-Essen. My doctoral thesis, awarded in February 2026, focused on the identification and characterization of antiviral compounds against SARS-CoV-2.

Throughout my studies, I was supported by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. Following graduation, I began my residency in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University Hospital Essen in January 2025. My clinical and scientific training has further been supported by the Junior Clinician Scientist Program (UMEA).

Since July 2026, I have been a visiting researcher at the Leiden University Medical Center in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Ramon Arens, where I investigate the metabolic regulation of virus-specific T-cell immunity in kidney transplant recipients. This research is funded by a Walter Benjamin Fellowship of the German Research Foundation (DFG).