Projects per year
Personal profile
Expertise
Joke Mertens graduated as a master in the Biomedical Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2017. She performed her master thesis in the REGE lab under supervision of Prof. Claudia Spits and became a PhD student in August 2017. She works on the MitoART project which aims at investigating mitochondrial DNA changes in oocytes, embryos and children born after assisted reproductive technologies.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Projects
- 1 Finished
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OZR3296: Do mitochondrial DNA mutations play a role in the outcome of assisted reproduction technologies?
Spits, C. (Administrative Promotor) & Mertens, J. (Mandate)
1/10/18 → 30/09/19
Project: Fundamental
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The interplay between mitochondrial DNA genotypes, female infertility, ovarian response, and mutagenesis in oocytes (vol 2025,hoae074,2024)
Van Der Kelen, A., Li Piani, L., Mertens, J., Regin, M., Couvreu De Deckersberg, E., Van De Velde, H., Sermon, K., Tournaye, H., Verpoest, W., Hes, F. J., Blockeel, C. & Spits, C., Jul 2025, In: Human reproduction open. 2025, 1, 13 p., hoae074.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Citations (Scopus)2 Downloads (Pure) -
Children born after assisted reproduction more commonly carry a mitochondrial genotype associating with low birthweight
Spits, C., Mertens, J., Belva, F., van Montfoort, A. P., Regin, M., Zambelli, F., Seneca, S., Couvreu De Deckersberg, E., Bonduelle, M.-L., Tournaye, H., Stouffs, K., Barbé, K., Smeets, B., Van De Velde, H., Sermon, K. & Blockeel, C., 9 Feb 2024, In: Nature Communications. 15, 1, p. 1232 16 p., 1232 .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile17 Citations (Scopus)95 Downloads (Pure) -
Mitochondrial DNA variants in early development and ART
Mertens, J., 2023, 119 p.Research output: Thesis › PhD Thesis
Open AccessFile389 Downloads (Pure) -
Mitochondrial DNA variants segregate during human preimplantation development into genetically different cell lineages that are maintained postnatally
Mertens, J., Regin, M., De Munck, N., de Deckersberg, E. C., Belva, F., Sermon, K., Tournaye, H., Blockeel, C., Van de Velde, H. & Spits, C., 1 Nov 2022, In: Human Molecular Genetics. 31, 21, p. 3629-3642 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Citations (Scopus)36 Downloads (Pure) -
Maternally inherited differences in mitochondrial DNA genotype between ART and spontaneously conceived individuals associate with low birthweight
Mertens, J., Belva, F., Van Montfoort, A., Zambelli, F., Seneca, S., de Deckersberg, E. C., Bonduelle, M., Tournaye, H., Stouffs, K., Barbe, K., Smeets, H., Van de Velde, H., Sermon, K., Blockeel, C. & Spits, C., Jul 2021, In: Human Reproduction. 36, p. 101-102Research output: Contribution to journal › Meeting abstract (Journal)
Prizes
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BSRM Award Winner 2020
Mertens, J. (Recipient), 28 Nov 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Across the Bench - A day of Exchange BeSHG
Vaeyens, F. (Participant), Keymolen, K. (Participant), Giron, P. (Participant), Gheldof, A. (Organiser), Fernandez Gallardo, E. (Participant), Papadimitriou, S. (Participant), Olsen, C. (Participant), Vantroys, E. (Participant), Seneca, S. (Participant), Dequeker, B. (Participant), Fieuw, A. (Participant), De Schutter, E. (Participant), Verdyck, P. (Participant), Schoemans, S. A. A. (Participant), Fieremans, N. (Participant), Sammels, E. (Participant), Fernandez Gallardo, E. (Participant), Maes, K. (Participant), Mertens, J. (Participant) & Gheldof, A. (Chair)
2 Feb 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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ESHRE 42nd Annual Meeting
Van Der Kelen, A. (Participant), Keymolen, K. (Participant), De Rycke, M. (Participant), Berckmoes, V. (Participant), Mertens, J. (Participant), Verdyck, P. (Participant) & Giron, P. (Participant)
5 Jul 2026 → 8 Jul 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Symposium 30 jaar PGT Maastricht UMC+
Polsler, L. (Participant), Keymolen, K. (Participant), De Rycke, M. (Participant), Fernandez Gallardo, E. (Participant), Berckmoes, V. (Participant), Mertens, J. (Participant) & Schoemans, S. A. A. (Participant)
28 Nov 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participating in or organizing an event at an external academic organisation
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25th Annual symposium of the Belgian Society for Human Genetics (BeSHG)
Polsler, L. (Participant), Hes, F. J. (Participant), Keymolen, K. (Chair), Uyttebroeck, S. (Participant), Bansagi, B. K. (Participant), De Smedt, D. (Participant), Bessems, S. (Participant), Meersschaert, F. A. (Participant), Slegers, I. (Participant), Nekkebroeck, J. (Participant), De Ridder, E. (Participant), Sammels, E. (Participant), Berckmoes, V. (Participant), Mertens, J. (Participant), Van Berkel, K. (Participant), Dimitrov, B. (Participant), De Rycke, M. (Participant), Gheldof, A. (Participant), Dequeker, B. (Participant), Van de Voorde, S. R. (Participant), Seneca, S. (Participant), Fernandez Gallardo, E. (Participant), Vaeyens, F. (Participant), Maes, K. (Participant), Vanden Eynde, N. (Participant), Vlaeminck, J. (Participant), Giron, P. (Participant), Belva, F. (Participant) & Van Der Kelen, A. (Participant)
14 Mar 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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BruMaStra Meeting: Brussels
De Rycke, M. (Chair), Keymolen, K. (Chair), Polsler, L. (Participant), De Becker, P. (Participant), Deryckere, H. (Participant), De Rooms, K. (Participant), Mackens, S. (Participant), Roelens, C. (Participant), Berckmoes, V. (Participant), Verdyck, P. (Chair), Mertens, J. (Chair), Fernandez Gallardo, E. (Chair), Rossel, T. G. A. A. G. (Participant) & Van Der Kelen, A. (Participant)
23 Oct 2025 → 24 Oct 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
Thesis
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Analysis of mitochondrial DNA variants in ART and spontaneously conceived individuals
Rhioui, K. ((PhD) Student), Mertens, J. (Advisor) & Spits, C. (Promotor), Spits, C. (Promotor), 6 Sept 2018Student thesis: Master's Thesis
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Maternal Inheritance as a Possible Origin of the Increased mtDNA Mutation Load in Children born after Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Bossuyt, J. ((PhD) Student), Mertens, J. (Advisor) & Spits, C. (Promotor), Spits, C. (Promotor), 18 Jun 2020Student thesis: Master's Thesis
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Mitochondrial DNA Variants in Early Development and ART
Mertens, J. ((PhD) Student), Zambelli, F. (Advisor) & Spits, C. (Promotor), Spits, C. (Promotor), 30 Jun 2017Student thesis: Master's Thesis
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Single-Cell Analysis to Unravel Somatic Mosaicism of Mitochondrial DNA Variants
Krupińska, P. K. ((PhD) Student), Mertens, J. (Advisor) & Spits, C. (Promotor), Spits, C. (Promotor), 4 Sept 2019Student thesis: Master's Thesis
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SNP Analyse in het FSH-Receptor gen van Patïenten met een Optimale en Suboptimale Opbrengst na Controlled Ovarian Stimulation
Duque, G. ((PhD) Student), Mertens, J. (Advisor) & Spits, C. (Promotor), Spits, C. (Promotor), 26 Jun 2018Student thesis: Master's Thesis