Florent Morfoisse, currently a postdoc at the GIGA Center, University of Liege, Belgium, under the supervision of Professor Agnes Noel, received a Travel Award from LE&RN to attend the 2017 Lymphatics Forum in Chicago. We asked Florent to share his thoughts on that experience with us and to tell us a bit about his research and future plans.

1. What did you get out of the Forum? Why did you feel it was important to attend?

Thanks to the LE&RN’s Travel Award, I had the opportunity to go to the Lymphatic Forum 2017. It was a terrific conference with all of the leaders in the field. This conference allowed me to learn about the most recent and cutting edge research in lymphatic biology. Being able to present my work to experts in the field was very important in order to receive their feedback and establish new collaborations for the advancement of my research.

2. What are your areas of interest in research?

While completing my Ph.D., I worked on the translational regulations of VEGF-C and VEGF-D induced by stressed tumor cells. Then I joined the lab of Professor Noel for my postdoc and began work on a project focused on lymphatic vessels themselves and their organisation. We identify, for the first type, the implication of uPARAP/endo 180 a member of the mannose receptor family in the VEGFR2/R3 signalling and lymphatic proper sprouting.

3. What are your hopes and plans for your career and your research?

I will finish my postdoc in Professor Noel’s lab and will increase my knowledge and skills to eventually return in France and become a junior group leader to strengthen the research in this still poorly known field. I hope that my research will bring new insights on lymphatic biology and shed light on the implication of lymphatic vessels in human pathologies.

4. Why do you believe that, in general, lymphatic research is important? What might the field accomplish within the next few years?

The lymphatic field has been neglected for a long time so I think that there is a lot of original therapeutic strategies that can come from deeper investigations in this field. Indeed many people forget about the high number of patients who suffer from lymphatic diseases especially lymphedema. LE&RN has done a great job in making people more aware about the existence and the variety of lymphatic diseases.

Programs such as LE&RN's Travel Awards program advance the scientific community's understanding of lymphedema and lymphatic diseases, allows for increased communication between researchers, and raises the profile of lymphatic research. These programs are only possible as a result of the generosity and dedication of LE&RN's corporate sponsors and Supporting Members. If you are committed to LE&RN's mission of fighting lymphedema and lymphatic disease through education, research, and advocacy, become a LE&RN Supporting Member today.