sabine.costagliola@ulb.be
+32 (0) 2 555 60 85

Sabine Costagliola completed a PhD in immunology at the Université Aix Marseille II (France) in 1991 under the supervision of Pr Pierre Carayon.  During her thesis, she studied the TSH and its receptor with monoclonal antibodies. She then joined the IRIBHM at Brussels (ULB)  and the laboratory of Gilbert Vassart where she generated the first murine model of Graves Disease (an autominnune thyroid disease). This achievement was the result of an innovative protocol of genetic immunization using cDNA coding for human TSHR for immunization, allowing production of antibodies recognizing in vivo native epitopes at the surface of TSHR. Those antibodies were able to mimic the TSHR stimulating activity observed in patients with Graves disease. Monoclonal antibodies derived from those immunizations are now part of a commercial assay (Thermo Scientific B·R·A·H·M·S TRAK human assay) used for Graves disease diagnostic. Sabine Costagliola completed a new PhD in Biomedical Science at ULB in 2000 and obtained a permanent position at FNRS as Research Associate.  Besides those studies related to thyroid autoimmunity, Sabine Costagliola was also interested in studying the mechanisms of activation of the glycoprotein hormone receptors (GPHR), mainly the TSH receptor but also the FSH receptor, for which her lab described the first mutation in FSHR leading to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Progressively, she moved her scientific interest towards thyroid development and established zebrafish and stem cell models to recapitulate thyroid morphogenesis in vivo and in vitro with tractable models. In 2012, this innovative approach resulted in a major publication describing the first model of in vitro generation of a functional thyroid from mouse embryonic stem cells. in 2022, she published the first model of thyroid-hormone-producing human thyroid organoids generated from human embryonic stem cells  This work represents a milestone in thyroid research.

Positions and Employment

1991-2000   Research Fellow in Endocrinology and Molecular Biology, IRIBHM, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium.
2000-to date   Research associate then Senior Research Associate then Research Director at FNRS (National Fund for Scientific Research), Belgium.
2018 to 2020  IRIBHM (ULB) deputy director
2020 to date IRIBHM (ULB) Director

Other Experiences and Professional Memberships

Member of the European Thyroid Association (ETA), Member of the Endocrine Society (ENDO), Member of the zebrafish and disease modeling society (ZDMS), board member of the Belgian Society for Stem Cells Research (BeSSCR) and board member of the Belgian Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (BSCDB).

Involved in HCERES evaluation committee (The High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES)-France

Honors and Awards

1992                        Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship
2001                        Haarington De Vischer Prize, European Thyroid Association
2004                        Alvarenga De Piauhy Prize, Royal Academy of Medicine, Belgium
2005                        Gaetano Salvatore Prize, Academia dei Lincei, Roma, Italy
2006                        European Society of Endocrinology Prize
2012                        Best 2012 Article Prize awarded by the Belgian Society for Internal Medicine
2013                        Merck Serono Prize, European Thyroid Association.
2013                        The Shizume Lecture Prize, Japan Thyroid Association
2013                        George Murray Lecture Prize, British Thyroid Association
2022                        Member of the Royal Belgian Academy of Medicine