Ruth Appeltant

I obtained my veterinary degree at the University of Ghent (Belgium) in 2011. Selected by the FWO (Research Foundation Flanders) for a PhD grant, I worked on cumulus expansion and in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes.

During a post-doctoral position (JSPS fellowship) at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organisation (NARO) in Tsukuba (Japan), we improved the efficacy of in vitro embryo production from vitrified oocytes.

Since 2017 I worked for almost two years on embryonic and juvenile lethal mutations, ATAC-seq analyses, and GWAS analyses in the team of Prof. Dr. M. Georges in Liège (Belgium).

To be prepared to actively contribute to the global efforts for sustainable development, I also completed successfully the course organized by Enabel, the Belgian development agency.

Embryology, cryopreservation and genetics were top priorities for me in my long-term vision to work on endangered species. From 2019 until 2022 I was a post-doctoral researcher in the Rhino Fertility Project. The aim of this project was to further our understanding of rhinoceros follicle development using fixed ovarian tissues and to develop techniques to develop rhinoceros eggs from cryopreserved ovarian tissues. Helping the rhino is helping the environment, the wildlife and the people.

Since 2022 I started as a tenure track research professor at the University of Antwerp (Belgium) at the Gamete Research Centre. For now I am focusing on establishing a new research line on in vitro gametogenesis. The objectives are to produce oocytes from 2 different sources of stem cells. First, from pre-existing endogenous stem cells found within the ovary and second, from induced pluripotent stem cells. The pig will be used as a large animal model for human and endangered species.