Coordinating Lead PI

Peter Vangheluwe, PhD

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Peter Vangheluwe, PhD’s research focuses on lysosomal transport systems that are implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD) to understand the role of lysosomal dysfunction in PD. He’s appointed as associate professor at KU Leuven in Belgium, and is head of the Laboratory of Cellular Transport Systems. Using biochemical and molecular cell biology approaches, he characterizes new P-type transport ATPases that regulate ion homeostasis and lipid distribution in the cell. His team discovered the function of two orphan transporters that are genetically implicated in PD. He described that ATP13A2/PARK9 works as a lysosomal polyamine transporter, and that ATP10B operates as a lysosomal glucosylceramide exporter. These breakthroughs provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of PD, and fuel a drug discovery pipeline for lysosomal transport modulators that runs together with pharmaceutical companies. He published over 60 peer-reviewed publications and received two awards by the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Neurosciences. Lab website: www.labcelltransport.com.