PERSONAL INFORMATION
Family name, First name: Wensveen, Felix M.
Position: Associate Professor
Researcher unique identifier: ORCID: 0000-0002-1333-8882
Date of birth: 06-01-1982
Date of doctoral thesis: 05-11-2010
Nationality: Netherlands
Work address: Braće Branchetta 20, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia
E-Mail: Felix.Wensveen[at]medri.uniri.hr
Tel.: 00385 (0) 51 651 171
SCOPUS: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=12902681800
CURRENT POSITION(S):
2019 – Present Associate Professor. Department of Histology & Embryology, Rijeka School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia.
PREVIOUS POSITIONS
2013 – 2019 Assistant Professor. Department of Histology & Embryology, Rijeka School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia.
2014 – 2017 Independent postdoctoral research fellow (Veni Laureate). Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2011 – 2013 Independent postdoctoral research fellow (Marie Curie Laureate). Dept. of Histology & Embryology, Rijeka School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia.
2010 – 2011 Postdoctoral research fellow (FP7 Transmedri project). Dept. of Histology & Embryology, Rijeka School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia.
2006 – 2010 PhD. Student. Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
EDUCATION:
2006 – 2010 PhD. Topic: Immunology. Faculty of Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2003 – 2006 Master of Science. Topic: Bio-Medical Science (Oncology). Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2000 – 2003 Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude). Topic: Bio-Medical Science. Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
FELLOWSHIPS AND (CO-) AUTHORED RESEARCH GRANTS SINCE PhD:
2020 - 2021 MZO research grant
2017 – 2021 HRZZ, research grant of the Croatian academy of science
2014 – 2017 CIG, EU Career Integration Grant
2014 – 2017 Veni, NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme
2013 – 2015 UKF, Research Cooperability Program
2013 – 2015 EFSD New Horizons Collaborative Research Initiative
2011 – 2013 Marie Curie Fellowship (IEF)
SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS:
2020 - Present PhD. student Dora Gašparini Supervisor. University of Rijeka
2019 – Present PhD. Student Mia Krapić Supervisor. University of Rijeka
2018 – Present PhD. Student Ante Benić Supervisor. University of Rijeka
2015 – 2020 PhD. Student Inga Kavazović Supervisor. University of Rijeka
2014 – 2018 PhD. Student Marko Šestan Co-supervisor. University of Rijeka
2013 – 2018 PhD. Student Sonja Marinović (Valentić) Co-supervisor. University of Rijeka
2010 – 2016 PhD. Student Vedrana Jelenčić Co-supervisor. University of Rijeka
2010 – 2017 PhD. Student Maja Lenartić (Gulin) Co-supervisor. University of Rijeka
TEACHING ACTIVITIES 2006 – Present:
2020 - Present Lecturer for medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Mostar
2018 - Present Lecturer and mandatory topic leader for the doctoral school, Faculty of medicine, Rijeka.
2013 - Present Lecturer for medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka
2010 - Present MSc. student supervisor for master-thesis research projects.
2012 - Present Lecturer for students of the Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka
2013 - Present Lecturer for the postdoctoral educational program ‘Biomedicine’, faculty of medicine, University of Rijeka
2006 - 2010 Teacher of Molecular Biology to BSc. students at the faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam
2006 - 2010 Supervisor of Bachelor and Master Students thesis projects, Dept. of Experimental Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Amsterdam
2006 - 2010 Assistant Teacher for the AMC honors program, Medical Faculty, University of Amsterdam
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
2010 – Present Graduate Student Advisor, University of Rijeka, Rijeka School of Medicine, Croatia
2010 – Present Organizer of Internal Immunology Seminar session, University of Rijeka, Croatia
2006 – 2008 Founder/Board member of the PhD. Council of the Center for Immunology Amsterdam
AWARDS
2022 - EFIS eastern Star award
2019 - Award of the Croatian academy of sciences and arts for the greatest scientific achievement of 2019 in medical sciences.
2017 – Award for the best scientist in the field of Biomedicine of the University of Rijeka.
2016 – Award for the best junior scientist at the Rijeka School of medicine
2016 – Award for the best immunological publication of 2015 from the Croatian society for Immunology (HID)
MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES AND EDITORIAL BOARDS
2022 - Present Editorial board member for Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
2021 - Present Editorial board member for Immunology Letters
2020 - Present Member of the EFIS Vaccine Task Force
2019 - Present Chair and board member of the Croatian Society for Immunology (HID)
2006 - 2018 Member of the Dutch Society for Immunology (NVVI)
REVIEWER ACTIVITIES
· Reviewer for numerous international, peer-reviewed journals, including the European Journal of Immunology, the Journal of Immunology, Mucosal Immunology, etc.
· Reviewer for international grant bodies (e.g. ERC starting grant, ANR, HRZZ, etc).
· Research panel member of the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ) from 2018-2020
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS:
1. Gašparini D, Kavazović I, Barković I, Maričić V, Ivaniš V, Samsa DT, Peršić V, Polić B, Turk Wensveen T, Wensveen FM., Extreme anaerobic exercise causes reduced cytotoxicity and increased cytokine production by peripheral blood lymphocytes. Immunol Lett. 2022 Aug;248:45-55. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2022.06.001. Epub 2022 Jun 13.
2. Kavazović I, Krapić M, Beumer-Chuwonpad A, Polić B, Turk Wensveen T, Lemmermann NA, Van Gisbergen KPJM, Wensveen FM, Hyperglycemia and not hyperinsulinemia mediates diabetes-induced memory CD8 t cell dysfunction, Diabetes. 2022 Jan 14:db210209. doi: 10.2337/db21-0209.
3. Krapić M, Kavazović I, Wensveen FM. Immunological Mechanisms of Sickness Behavior in Viral Infection. Viruses. 2021 Nov 8;13(11):2245. doi: 10.3390/v13112245.
4. Parga-Vidal L, Behr FM, Kragten NAM, Nota B, Wesselink TH, Kavazović I, Covill LE, Schuller MBP, Bryceson YT, Wensveen FM, van Lier RAW, van Dam TJP, Stark R, van Gisbergen KPJM. Hobit identifies tissue-resident memory T cell precursors that are regulated by Eomes. Sci Immunol. 2021 Aug 20;6(62):eabg3533. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abg3533.
5. Wensveen FM, Šestan M, Turk Wensveen T, Polić B. Blood glucose regulation in context of infection. Vitam Horm. 2021;117:253-318. doi: 10.1016/bs.vh.2021.06.009.
6. Turk Wensveen T, Gašparini D, Rahelić D, Wensveen FM, Type 2 diabetes and viral infection; cause and effect of disease. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2021 Feb;172:108637.
7. Kavazović I, Han H, Balzaretti G, Slinger E, Lemmermann NAW, Ten Brinke A, Merkler D, Koster J, Bryceson Y, De Vries N, Jonjić S, Klarenbeek PL, Polić B, Eldering E, Wensveen FM, Eomes broadens the scope of CD8 T cell memory by inhibiting apoptosis in cells of low affinity. PLoS Biol. 2020 Mar 17;18(3):e3000648.
8. Turk Wensveen T, Fučkar Ćupić D, Jurišić Eržen D, Polić B, Wensveen FM, Severe lipoatrophy in a patient with diabetes mellitus type 2 in response to glargine and degludec insulin: Possible involvement of CD4 T cell mediated tissue remodelling. Diabetes Care. 2020 Feb;43(2):494-496. doi: 10.2337/dc19-1888.
9. Wensveen FM, Šestan M, Turk Wensveen T, Polić B., 'Beauty and the beast' in infection: How immune-endocrine interactions regulate systemic metabolism in the context of infection. Eur J Immunol. 2019 Jul;49(7):982-995. doi: 10.1002/eji.201847895.
10. Grčević D, Šućur A, Wensveen F., Croatian Immunological Society: Our half century. Eur J Immunol. 2019 Feb;49(2):208-211. doi: 10.1002/eji.201970025.
11. Kavazović I, Polić B, Wensveen FM, Cheating the hunger games; Mechanisms controlling clonal diversity of CD8 effector and memory populations. Front Immunol. 2018 Nov 29;9:2831. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02831
12. Jelenčić V, Šestan M, Kavazović I, Lenartić M, Marinović S, Holmes TD, Prchal-Murphy M, Lisnić B, Sexl V, Bryceson YT, Wensveen FM, Polić B. NK cell receptor NKG2D sets activation threshold for the NCR1 receptor early in NK cell development. Nat Immunol. 2018 Oct;19(10):1083-1092. doi: 10.1038/s41590-018-0209-9.
13. Šestan M, Marinović S, Kavazović I, Cekinović Đ, Wueest S, Turk Wensveen T, Brizić I, Jonjić S, Konrad D, Wensveen FM, Polić B. Virus-Induced Interferon-γ Causes Insulin Resistance in Skeletal Muscle and Derails Glycemic Control in Obesity. Immunity. 2018 Jul 17;49(1):164-177.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.05.005.
14. Wensveen FM, Jelenčić V, Polić B. NKG2D: A Master Regulator of Immune Cell Responsiveness. Front Immunol. 2018 Mar 8;9:441. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00441.
15. Jelenčić V, Lenartić M, Wensveen FM, Polić B, NKG2D: A versatile player in the immune system. Immunol Lett. 2017 Sep;189:48-53. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2017.04.006.
16. Kavazović I, Lenartić M, Jelenčić V, Jurković S, Lemmermann NAW, Jonjić S, Polić B, Wensveen FM, NKG2D stimulation of CD8+ T cells during priming promotes their capacity to produce cytokines in response to viral infection in mice. Eur J Immunol. 2017 Jul;47(7):1123-1135. doi: 10.1002/eji.201646805.
17. Lenartić M, Jelenčić V, Zafirova B, Ožanič M, Marečić V, Jurković S, Sexl V, Šantić M, Wensveen FM, Polić B. NKG2D Promotes B1a Cell Development and Protection against Bacterial Infection. J Immunol. 2017 Jan 13. pii: 1600461. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600461.
18. Mikolasevic I, Milic S, Turk Wensveen T, Grgic I, Jakopcic I, Stimac D, Wensveen F, Orlic L. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease - A multisystem disease? World J Gastroenterol. 2016 Nov 21;22(43):9488-9505. Review.
19. Wensveen FM, Slinger E, van Attekum MH, Brink R, Eldering E. Antigen-affinity controls pre-germinal center B cell selection by promoting Mcl-1 induction through BAFF receptor signaling. Sci Rep. 2016 Oct 20;6:35673. doi: 10.1038/srep35673.
20. Slinger E, Wensveen FM, Guikema JE, Kater AP, Eldering E. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia development is accelerated in mice with deficiency of the pro-apoptotic regulator NOXA. Haematologica. 2016 Sep;101(9):e374-7. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2016.142323. PubMed PMID: 27479816;
21. Sagiv A, Burton DG, Moshayev Z, Vadai E, Wensveen F, Ben-Dor S, Golani O, Polic B, Krizhanovsky V. NKG2D ligands mediate immunosurveillance of senescent cells. Aging (Albany NY). 2016 Feb;8(2):328-44.
22. Wensveen FM, Valentić S, Šestan M, Turk Wensveen T, Polić B. The "Big Bang" in obese fat: Events initiating obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation. Eur J Immunol. 2015 Sep;45(9):2446-56. doi: 10.1002/eji.201545502.
23. Wensveen FM, Valentić S, Šestan M, Wensveen TT, Polić B. Interactions between adipose tissue and the immune system in health and malnutrition. Semin Immunol. 2015 Sep;27(5):322-33. doi: 10.1016/j.smim.2015.10.006. Review.
24. Wensveen FM, Jelenčić V, Valentić S, Šestan M, Wensveen TT, Theurich S, Glasner A, Mendrila D, Štimac D, Wunderlich FT, Brüning JC, Mandelboim O, Polić B. NK cells link obesity-induced adipose stress to inflammation and insulin resistance. Nat Immunol. 2015 Apr;16(4):376-85. doi: 10.1038/ni.3120.
25. Wensveen FM, Geest CR, Libregts SF, Derks IA, Ekert PG, Labi V, Villunger A, Nolte MA, Eldering E. BH3-only protein Noxa contributes to apoptotic control of stress-erythropoiesis. Apoptosis. 2013 Nov;18(11):1306-18. doi: 10.1007/s10495-013-0890-y.
26. Trsan T, Busche A, Abram M, Wensveen FM, Lemmermann NA, Arapovic M, Babic M, Tomic A, Golemac M, Brinkmann MM, Jäger W, Oxenius A, Polic B, Krmpotic A, Messerle M, Jonjic S. Superior induction and maintenance of protective CD8 T cells in mice infected with mouse cytomegalovirus vector expressing RAE-1γ. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Oct 8;110(41):16550-5. doi: 0.1073/pnas.1310215110.
27. Wensveen FM, Lenartic M, Jelencic V, Lemmermann NA, ten Brinke A, Jonjic S, Polic B. NKG2D induces Mcl-1 expression and mediates survival of CD8 memory Tvcell precursors via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. J Immunol. 2013 Augv1;191(3):1307-15. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300670.
28. Welten SP, Redeker A, Franken KL, Benedict CA, Yagita H, Wensveen FM, Borst J, Melief CJ, van Lier RA, van Gisbergen KP, Arens R. CD27-CD70 costimulation controls T cell immunity during acute and persistent cytomegalovirus infection. J Virol. 2013 Jun;87(12):6851-65. doi: 10.1128/JVI.03305-12.
29. Wensveen FM, Klarenbeek PL, van Gisbergen KP, Pascutti MF, Derks IA, van Schaik BD, Ten Brinke A, de Vries N, Cekinovic D, Jonjic S, van Lier RA, Eldering E. Pro-apoptotic protein Noxa regulates memory T cell population size and protects against lethal immunopathology. J Immunol. 2013 Feb 1;190(3):1180-91. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1202304.
30. Wensveen FM, van Gisbergen KP, Eldering E. The fourth dimension in immunological space: how the struggle for nutrients selects high-affinity lymphocytes. Immunol Rev. 2012 Sep;249(1):84-103. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065X.2012.01156.x. Review.
31. Van Gisbergen KP, Kragten NA, Hertoghs KM, Wensveen FM, Jonjic S, Hamann J, Nolte MA, van Lier RA. Mouse Hobit is a homolog of the transcriptional repressor Blimp-1 that regulates NKT cell effector differentiation. Nat Immunol. 2012 Sep;13(9):864-71. doi: 10.1038/ni.2393.
32. Wensveen FM, Unger PP, Kragten NA, Derks IA, ten Brinke A, Arens R, van Lier RA, Eldering E, van Gisbergen KP. CD70-driven costimulation induces survival or Fas-mediated apoptosis of T cells depending on antigenic load. J Immunol. 2012 May 1;188(9):4256-67. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1102889.
33. Wensveen FM, Derks IA, van Gisbergen KP, de Bruin AM, Meijers JC, Yigittop H, Nolte MA, Eldering E, van Lier RA. BH3-only protein Noxa regulates apoptosis in activated B cells and controls high-affinity antibody formation. Blood. 2012 Feb 9;119(6):1440-9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-09-378877.
34. Zafirova B, Wensveen FM, Gulin M, Polić B. Regulation of immune cell function and differentiation by the NKG2D receptor. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2011 Nov;68(21):3519-29. doi: 10.1007/s00018-011-0797-0.
35. Libregts SF, Gutiérrez L, de Bruin AM, Wensveen FM, Papadopoulos P, van Ijcken W, Ozgür Z, Philipsen S, Nolte MA. Chronic IFN-γ production in mice induces anemia by reducing erythrocyte life span and inhibiting erythropoiesis through an IRF-1/PU.1 axis. Blood. 2011 Sep 1;118(9):2578-88. doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-10-315218.
36. Van Gisbergen KP, Klarenbeek PL, Kragten NA, Unger PP, Nieuwenhuis MB, Wensveen FM, ten Brinke A, Tak PP, Eldering E, Nolte MA, van Lier RA. The costimulatory molecule CD27 maintains clonally diverse CD8(+) T cell responses of low antigen affinity to protect against viral variants. Immunity. 2011 Jul 22;35(1):97-108. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2011.04.020.
37. Wensveen FM, Alves NL, Derks IA, Reedquist KA, Eldering E. Apoptosis induced by overall metabolic stress converges on the Bcl-2 family proteins Noxa and Mcl-1. Apoptosis. 2011 Jul;16(7):708-21. doi: 10.1007/s10495-011-0599-8.
38. Zeilstra J, Joosten SP, Wensveen FM, Dessing MC, Schütze DM, Eldering E, Spaargaren M, Pals ST. WNT signaling controls expression of pro-apoptotic BOK and BAX in intestinal cancer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2011 Mar 4;406(1):1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.12.070.
39. Wensveen FM, van Gisbergen KP, Derks IA, Gerlach C, Schumacher TN, van Lier RA, Eldering E. Apoptosis threshold set by Noxa and Mcl-1 after T cell activation regulates competitive selection of high-affinity clones. Immunity. 2010 Jun 25;32(6):754-65. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2010.06.005.
40. Van de Laar L, Buitenhuis M, Wensveen FM, Janssen HL, Coffer PJ, Woltman AM. Human CD34-derived myeloid dendritic cell development requires intact phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B-mammalian target of rapamycin signaling. J Immunol. 2010 Jun 15;184(12):6600-11. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0903089.
41. Van Olffen RW, Koning N, van Gisbergen KP, Wensveen FM, Hoek RM, Boon L, Hamann J, van Lier RA, Nolte MA. GITR triggering induces expansion of both effector and regulatory CD4+ T cells in vivo. J Immunol. 2009 Jun 15;182(12):7490-500. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0802751.
42. Hallaert DY, Spijker R, Jak M, Derks IA, Alves NL, Wensveen FM, de Boer JP, de Jong D, Green SR, van Oers MH, Eldering E. Crosstalk among Bcl-2 family members in B-CLL: seliciclib acts via the Mcl-1/Noxa axis and gradual exhaustion of Bcl-2 protection. Cell Death Differ. 2007 Nov;14(11):1958-67.
43. Schagen FH, Wensveen FM, Carette JE, Dermody TS, Gerritsen WR, van Beusechem, VW. Genetic targeting of adenovirus vectors using a reovirus sigma1-based attachment protein. Mol Ther. 2006 May;13(5):997-1005.