Stephanie’s research focuses on the genomics of aquatic species, particularly within the field of aquaculture. Her expertise includes genome assembly, gene discovery, and differential gene expression analysis. Her work has significantly contributed to understanding the genetic underpinnings of sex determination and stress response in extremophiles such as Artemia.
Stephanie is also the founder of Thinkubate, a consultancy providing specialized services in genomics and scientific writing. She has held a leadership position in a pharmaceutical biotech company, overseeing research and development, product innovation, and strategic growth.
Stephanie has taught and is teaching guest classes at Ghent university, Uppsala university and SLU about genomics, model organisms, epigenetics and nutrigenomics.
Stephanie’s research centers on genomics and bioinformatics, with a particular interest in crustacean genomics and the discovery of sex-determining genes. Her recent projects involve the use of omics technologies to improve aquaculture practices and animal welfare. The overarching goal is to advance sustainable aquaculture by integrating genomic insights into breeding programs and disease management.
Key areas of interest include:
The genomics and epigenomics of aquatic animals (crustaceans, fish).
The response of aquatic animals to environmental stress.
The application of genomics in sustainable aquaculture.
PhD in Applied Biological Sciences, 2014:
Ghent University
Dissertation: Artemia genomics: A new crustacean genome and discovery of sex-determining genes.
MSc in Bioscience Engineering, 2008:
Ghent University
Dissertation: Characterization, pathogenicity, and integrated control of Rhizoctonia solani on bean.
Professional Experience:
Researcher in Omics & Bio-IT, SLU (2023 – Present)
Founder & Director, Thinkubate BV (2021 – Present)
CEO, R.E.D. Laboratories & Kalidashop & Protea Biopharma (2019 – 2020)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Ghent University (2016 – 2019)
Scientific Collaborator, BlueGene Project, Ghent University (2014 – 2016)
De Vos S, et al. (2022). The Sex-Specific Splicing of Doublesex in Artemia franciscana. Genes.
De Vos S, et al. (2021). The genome of the extremophile Artemia provides insight into strategies to cope with extreme environments. BMC Genomics.
De Vos S, et al. (2013). A first AFLP-based genetic linkage map for Artemia franciscana. PLoS One.