Christine Mohrmann Stipend for two PhD candidates of Radboudumc

Sabine Schootemeijer and Nelleke Brouwer of Radboud university medical center receive a Christine Mohrmann Stipendium. They are among the group of eleven female PhD students receiving this grant from Radboud University. The aim of the stipend is to encourage PhD candidates to continue their academic careers after the completion of their thesis. The stipend worth 5000 euros gives them the opportunity, for example, to spend a period at a university abroad or to deepen their research in another way.  

Since 1990, the Executive Board of Radboud University has awarded the Christine Mohrmann Stipends (until 2015: Frye stipends) annually to promising women PhD candidates. The eleven laureates of 2023 are: Alicia Castro, Carmen Schleijpen, Emmie Hoebens, Klara Raiber, Nelleke Brouwer, Nina de Boer, Michelle Jansen, Sofía Forchieri, Sabine Schootemeijer, Sara Arts and Xinyue Li. 

Nelleke Brouwer – Colorectal cancer research

Nelleke Brouwer focusses on tumor deposits in colorectal cancer, clusters of tumor cells found in the fat surrounding the bowel. Her studies try to elucidate the role of tumor deposits in the spread of colorectal cancer by analyzing their biology. Furthermore, she translates the biological findings to the clinical level by investigating the appearance of tumor deposits on medical imaging, and by combining patient outcomes with tissue analyses using artificial intelligence. Nelleke will use the stipend for further personal development with regards to research methods and evidence based leadership at the university of Oxford. 

Sabine Schootemeijer – Parkinson research

Sabine Schootemeijer investigates the effect of physical activity in people with Parkinson’s disease. She developed an app that stimulates people with Parkinson’s disease to become more physically active. Currently, she is evaluating the effectiveness of this app in a large (N=452) randomized controlled trial. Sabine will leverage the stipendium to visit her collaborators in Boston. This allows her to work on her statistical analyses and improve her analytical skills. Moreover, she will visit several research groups with complementary expertise. 

In this picture: Nelleke Brouwer first from left, Sabine Schootemeijer fourth from right.