The oncology research unit of the department of rehabilitation sciences of KU Leuven (prof. Nele Devoogdt and dr. Ceren Gursen) together with the centre for lymphedema of the department of vascular surgery at the University Hospital Leuven (prof. dr. Sarah Thomis) are seeking a full-time (100%) PhD candidate in the field of lipedema research, with a specific focus on diagnostic biomarkers.

Project

Lipedema is a chronic condition characterized by the disproportionate fat distribution and bilateral and symmetrical accumulation of subcutaneous adipose tissue, primarily in the legs. The mechanisms underlying its clinical manifestations remain poorly understood. For this reason, lipedema is diagnosed clinically based on following symptoms and subjective physical examination. As a result, the diagnosis of lipedemaremains unstandardized and it is frequentlymisdiagnosed as obesity.

The BIO-LIP project is a case-control study that aims to develop...