Dr. Dimitri BUDINGER

Dimitri Budinger graduated from the University of Namur, Belgium, with a Master’s degree in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology. During his studies, he gained interests in stem cell biology and research while undergoing an internship at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, at the University of California San Diego, USA, where he studied stem cell-based disease models of neurological disorders. Dimitri earned his PhD in March 2023 at the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK, concentrating on disease modelling for rare childhood parkinsonian disorders using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to derive 2D and 3D neuronal systems. Working also as a part-time research assistant during his PhD, Dimitri expanded his interest to developmental biology, and gained expertise in single cell RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics, with a particular focus on brain development. In May 2023, Dimitri joined the LCSB as a postdoctoral researcher in the Neuroinflammation group. His primary research project is centred around investigating tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) in the context of neuroinflammation within neurodegenerative disorders, using iPSC-derived microglia and neuronal models. During his free time, Dimitri enjoys traveling, reading, and playing the piano.