NL
DE
30 January 2020
Where do you live and with whom?
I live in London at the moment, with my boyfriend (Frans van Workum, surgeon and also a RIHS PhD candidate). I recently moved to the UK because I will be working as a medical doctor for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, starting from next month.
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? Can you tell us something about your child years.
When I was in primary school I told everybody that I wanted to work for Médecins Sans Frontières but that I was not quite sure about it because I’d possibly get homesick. That’s a bit ironic considering I live in London now. In high school that changed into becoming a doctor and it stayed that way ever since.
What was your previous academic training, where did you study and why did you choose that study/those studies?
I started medical school at the Radboud University Nijmegen in 2010 and I graduated in 2017. As mentioned before, I knew from a young age that I wanted to become a doctor. Therefore, searching for a second option because of the numerus fixus was a more difficult task… luckily I was accepted the first time.
Of which of your research discoveries, you are most proud of?
That is probably going to be the results of the ICAN trial: a national multicenter randomized controlled trial which randomizes esophageal cancer patients for esophagectomy with an intrathoracic or cervical anastomosis. This trial is going to answer a very clinically relevant question. The team and I put a lot of effort in this trial and I can’t wait for the results next month.
What is your most important scientific challenge in the coming 5 years?
For me personally, my goal is to ensure that surgeons and other specialist in the ‘esophageal cancer field’ know about the results of the ICAN trial and TENTACLE study and to finish my PhD. After that I would like to focus on getting into surgery specialty training. I am planning to continue to work on scientific research, but I am not yet sure to what extent.
If you could choose any mentor, who would this be?
It is hard to choose only one person. I’d rather pick a few and learn bits of every person, for example: Bas van Wageningen (trauma surgeon) for how calm and focused he is in acute clinical settings, Han Bonenkamp (oncologic surgeon) for how likable he is to his patients, Maroeska Rovers (prof. evidence based surgery) for how she balances her work and private life.
What is your favorite topic: molecules - patients - population?
Patients, definitely.
What should be changed / improved in the scientific community?
The introduction of one universal format for submission of abstracts and manuscripts would be of great help.
Is there anything we can wake you up for in the middle of the night?
Yes, for a white-sand-blue-water holiday.
What is the thing that irritates you most?
When things go unnecessarily slow.
Who would you like to have dinner with, if you had the chance?
The first thing I can think of is with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, that would be the cherry on top of this year in London.
How do you relax from the demanding job being a scientist?
I like to sport (gym, cycling), read (preferably detectives) and have a drink with friends.
Do you have a tip for our most junior scientists?
Celebrate all you successes, the small ones too.
Please make a selection:
o Crisper-Cas9 or AI – AI
o Pipette or Biostatistics – Biostatistics
o RT-PCR or Proteomics – That’s over my head
o Big data or Clinical trial – That’s a difficult one; both have great advantages en some disadvantages. I think both are useful if you use it properly.
Please add a photo which represents a remarkable event or experience you were part of? Please explain.
Opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate, together with prof. Rosman and the rest of the team, the last inclusion for the randomized controlled trial!
Where do you live and with whom?
I live in London at the moment, with my boyfriend (Frans van Workum, surgeon and also a RIHS PhD candidate). I recently moved to the UK because I will be working as a medical doctor for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, starting from next month.
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? Can you tell us something about your child years.
When I was in primary school I told everybody that I wanted to work for Médecins Sans Frontières but that I was not quite sure about it because I’d possibly get homesick. That’s a bit ironic considering I live in London now. In high school that changed into becoming a doctor and it stayed that way ever since.
What was your previous academic training, where did you study and why did you choose that study/those studies?
I started medical school at the Radboud University Nijmegen in 2010 and I graduated in 2017. As mentioned before, I knew from a young age that I wanted to become a doctor. Therefore, searching for a second option because of the numerus fixus was a more difficult task… luckily I was accepted the first time.
Of which of your research discoveries, you are most proud of?
That is probably going to be the results of the ICAN trial: a national multicenter randomized controlled trial which randomizes esophageal cancer patients for esophagectomy with an intrathoracic or cervical anastomosis. This trial is going to answer a very clinically relevant question. The team and I put a lot of effort in this trial and I can’t wait for the results next month.
What is your most important scientific challenge in the coming 5 years?
For me personally, my goal is to ensure that surgeons and other specialist in the ‘esophageal cancer field’ know about the results of the ICAN trial and TENTACLE study and to finish my PhD. After that I would like to focus on getting into surgery specialty training. I am planning to continue to work on scientific research, but I am not yet sure to what extent.
If you could choose any mentor, who would this be?
It is hard to choose only one person. I’d rather pick a few and learn bits of every person, for example: Bas van Wageningen (trauma surgeon) for how calm and focused he is in acute clinical settings, Han Bonenkamp (oncologic surgeon) for how likable he is to his patients, Maroeska Rovers (prof. evidence based surgery) for how she balances her work and private life.
What is your favorite topic: molecules - patients - population?
Patients, definitely.
What should be changed / improved in the scientific community?
The introduction of one universal format for submission of abstracts and manuscripts would be of great help.
Is there anything we can wake you up for in the middle of the night?
Yes, for a white-sand-blue-water holiday.
What is the thing that irritates you most?
When things go unnecessarily slow.
Who would you like to have dinner with, if you had the chance?
The first thing I can think of is with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, that would be the cherry on top of this year in London.
How do you relax from the demanding job being a scientist?
I like to sport (gym, cycling), read (preferably detectives) and have a drink with friends.
Do you have a tip for our most junior scientists?
Celebrate all you successes, the small ones too.
Please make a selection:
o Crisper-Cas9 or AI – AI
o Pipette or Biostatistics – Biostatistics
o RT-PCR or Proteomics – That’s over my head
o Big data or Clinical trial – That’s a difficult one; both have great advantages en some disadvantages. I think both are useful if you use it properly.
Please add a photo which represents a remarkable event or experience you were part of? Please explain.
Opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate, together with prof. Rosman and the rest of the team, the last inclusion for the randomized controlled trial!
