Meet Merel Bartels: Her PhD Journey into Immune Cell Therapy

We recently sat down with our biomedical scientist Merel Bartels for a short interview as she officially kicks off her PhD trajectory. Merel’s research focuses on improving how immune cell therapies are delivered to patients, particularly in cancer treatment. Her work investigates what happens to these cells after intradermal delivery, including their survival, migration and interactions within the body.

The project will be done in partnership with University of Antwerp, the Center for Oncological Research (CORE) and is funded by the VLAIO – Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Baekeland programme, boosting collaboration between academia and industry. Her academic promotor is Evelien Smits and supervisor is Hanne Verswyvel at the University of Antwerp, and her industrial promotor is Vanessa Vankerckhoven of IDEVAX.

Curious to hear more about Merel’s research in her own words?

🎥 Watch the short interview here:

Here’s a short summary of what Merel shared about her research and its potential impact.

1. Could you briefly describe your PhD project? And could you tell us a bit about the VLAIO Baekeland programme and how it supports your research?

Merel’s PhD focuses on improving the delivery of immune cell therapies, particularly for cancer. She is studying how therapeutic cells behave after intradermal delivery, including their survival, migration and interactions within the body.

The VLAIO Baekeland programme brings together academic and industry expertise, combining immune-oncology research at the University of Antwerp with Idevax’s MedTech design expertise. This allows Merel to connect fundamental research with real-world healthcare applications.

2. Intravenous (IV) infusion is commonly used for cell-based therapies — what advantages does intradermal delivery offer?

Intradermal delivery places therapeutic cells directly into the skin, an environment rich in immune cells and lymphatic vessels. This could potentially improve how the cells interact with the immune system compared with systemic IV delivery, where cells are distributed throughout the body. The project will use the VAX-ID device, which enables precise intradermal delivery.

3. What impact could the project have on the future of healthcare, in oncology and beyond?

The research explores how advanced cell therapies can be delivered more effectively, accessibly and in a patient-friendly way. For oncology, it could contribute to next-generation immunotherapies for solid tumors. Beyond cancer, the insights could also support cell therapies being developed for autoimmune diseases and other conditions, contributing to more personalized healthcare.