Kristof Van Avondt (PhD) is team lead of the Spatial Omics Accelerator and assistant professor at the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
He received his PhD from the Utrecht University on the topic of neutrophil immune regulation. As a postdoc, he continued studying neutrophil function and its implications in various diseases. First in sickle cell disease at Sanquin Research Amsterdam, The Netherlands, later in aging and cardiovascular disease at LMU Munich, Germany, and at WWU Münster, Germany.
Ever since, he has been interested in the spatial organization of neutrophils and other cell types and their implications in health and disease. In his role within the Spatial Omics Accelerator, he oversees the integration of advanced spatial technologies to analyse biological molecules within their tissue context, providing researchers with detailed insights into cellular organization and function. Under his guidance, the accelerator aims to drive innovation and contribute to the development of spatial omics methodologies.