Description
Professor Carine Van Lint, FNRS Research Director and Head of the Service of Molecular Virology at University of Brussels, has been awarded the prestigious “KT Jeang Retrovirology Prize 2025” for her outstanding work on the molecular mechanisms regulating gene expression of the HIV-1, HTLV-1 and BLV retroviruses
She is author and co-author of more than 140 international publications in the field of retrovirology and molecular biology. After performing her PhD thesis at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH, Bethesda, USA) and a post-doctoral fellowship in New-York, she joined the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Brussels (ULB) as the Director of the Service of Molecular Virology. Internationally recognized for her work on the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of retroviruses, Carine Van Lint has significantly advanced our understanding of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) latency and reactivation from latency. Her pioneering studies revealed the crucial role of chromatin structure and histone modifications in controlling HIV-1 gene expression. These discoveries have paved the way for the therapeutic strategies known as the “shock and kill” approach, which aims to reactivate latent viral reservoirs in order to eliminate them.
Since founding her laboratory at ULB in 1999, Carine Van Lint has developed strong translational research collaborations with clinical partners in Belgium and internationally, contributing to the development and launch of innovative clinical trials. Her work has also led to major advances in the study of other retroviruses, including the oncogenic retroviruses HTLV-1 (Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1) and BLV (Bovine Leukemia Virus).
Carine Van Lint is a dedicated mentor who trained and supervised more than 60 young graduate and postdoctoral researchers. She actively serves on several international scientific committees and she is a founding member of the RHIVIERA consortium. This award recognizes the scientific excellence and societal impact of an outstanding research career.
