Dr. Decock received her Master of Science (MSc) in Biomedical Sciences from the Free University of Brussels (VUB, Belgium) and completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Medical Sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Belgium. Her doctoral research focused on the cancer degradome, the repertoire of proteases in the tumor microenvironment that contribute to shaping the extracellular environment and modulating pericellular signaling, thereby affecting tumor progression and clinical outcome. Prior to joining QBRI, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of East Anglia (UK) where she studied the role of several protease families in cancer. 

Dr Decock’s research focuses on advancing our current understanding of breast cancer to help accelerate the breast cancer field and advance the development of new treatments. Her research efforts address two pivotal and emerging key areas in breast cancer research; tumor antigen discovery & therapeutics and tumor immunology. Currently, a main theme in her research activities is centered around the exploration of the potential of cancer testis antigens as prime therapeutic anti-cancer targets and modulators of anti-tumor immunity.