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This fellowship, originating from 2008, aims to promote innovation in academic research by giving young and talented researchers the opportunity to establish an independent research group within the strategic areas of Radboudumc. Anna Marneth received the Hypatia fellowship in 2023.
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Anna grew up in Lichtenvoorde, a town in the East of the Netherlands. She jokingly refers to it as L.A., Lichtenvoorde Achterhoek. She studied Biomedical Sciences at the University of Groningen (2006-2011) where she became fascinated with the development of blood cancers. She did a very successful PhD with (co-)first authorships in top journals such as NEJM, Blood, and Leukemia here at the Radboudumc (2012-2017). Her work encompassed identifying novel genetic aberrancies and investigating molecular, cellular, and clinical features in patients with bleeding disorders and blood cancers.
Passionate to team up with leaders in the field, she moved to Boston for her post-doctoral studies at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)-Harvard Medical School, USA (2017-2022). Her post-doctoral work provided important molecular insights in the pathogenesis of the chronic blood cancer myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and resulted in the identification of novel therapeutic approaches for this blood cancer, published in Nature Materials, Blood, and Leukemia. One of her post-doc projects showed that sugarcoating, or glycosylation, is a potential novel therapeutic target in this blood cancer. Her research program here at the Radboudumc (since December 2022) revolves around understanding and targeting glycosylation in normal and malignant blood cell development.
Anna, congratulations with your Hypatia Fellowship! How will you use the Hypatia grant? What is your research line?
All the cells in our body are coated with sugars (glycans), and my research focuses on understanding the role of these glycans in blood (cancer) cell development. Despite their abundance, glycosylation remains vastly understudied. By combining glycosylation with hematology and targeting it in blood cancers, I believe my research is unique and highly innovative. My team uses advanced model systems and mass spectrometry techniques to accurately assess protein glycosylation and its role in blood cell development. The Hypatia grant, along with other grants and fellowships, will be instrumental in building my research group here at Radboudumc.
Why Radboudumc?
Radboudumc's mission aligns perfectly with my goals in translational hematology and glycobiology research—specifically in improving patient diagnosis and treatment. Another key reason I chose Radboudumc is its strong representation and organization in both hematology and glycoscience, fostering robust interactions between the clinic, diagnostic, and research labs. Additionally, the Radboud Consortium for Glycosciences offers unique expertise found in only a few academic centers.
What is different between Boston and Nijmegen?
There are many differences. Boston is a vibrant city, with many cultural and social activities, diversity, and a large science community. A major event in Boston is the Boston marathon, but the party atmosphere is definitely more exuberant during the Vierdaagse here in Nijmegen! Nijmegen is smaller, but still has a lot to offer and all scientific facilities required for high quality research are available. While the science community is smaller, our clear Radboudumc mission to have a significant impact on healthcare enables us to be a big player in science. Researchers in Boston are very result-driven. Although they are sometimes in overdrive, I aim to install some of this mentality in my own research group here as well.
How did you land and what did you do to reintegrate at the Radboudumc?
I received a warm welcome at the Laboratory of Hematology and the Radboud Consortium of Glycosciences. I reached out to many group leaders within hematology, the Radboud Consortium for Glycosciences, and other researchers at Radboudumc, finding like-minded, driven collaborators. These collaborations, along with mentorship from the department and the Hypatia grant, contributed significantly to a great start.
What do you need in the future?
Now that the team has been established, the next step is to let the group flourish. The Hypatia Track will help us become a leading group in hematology and glycosciences.
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Anna Margreth's research group is part of the research program:
Treatment improvement for severe hematological diseases - Radboudumc
Interview by Radboudumc Research Newsletter Editorial
