RIMLS award highlights 2019
The year of Daniele Tauriello
Daniele Tauriello received both a vidi grant and a hypatia grant. A special achievement that we would like to hear more about. read the interviewFive NWO Veni grants being awarded to RIMLS researchers
Four from our Veni awardees came together to discuss their research, their Veni grants, and their research careers. read the interviewFive NWO Veni grants being awarded to RIMLS researchers
Can’t remember ever being as nervous as I was for my Veni defenseWith five NWO Veni grants being awarded to RIMLS this year, the institute was generously rewarded. Four Veni awardees came together to discuss their research, their Veni grants, and their research careers.
Who are this year’s 250 kEuro Veni awardees, and what are they researching?Rob Aarts is the only Veni awardee this year who works part-time in the clinic as an internist in training. His research focuses on the memory of the innate immune system and the role of the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-37 and IL-38.
Jitske Jansen was awarded the Veni grant to study kidney regeneration after acute kidney failure. Her aim is to elucidate molecules secreted by immune cells and pericytes that are essential for successful for kidney epithelial repair.
Martijn van den Bosch focuses on osteoarthritis and aims to unravel the inflammatory mechanisms that drive the osteoarthritis pathology, which might be used to develop disease-modifying therapies.
Annie Yang is looking into the complex life cycle of parasites in hepatocytes during malaria infection. Back in Melbourne, she had already begun researching the liver stage of the malaria parasite. She moved to Nijmegen because of Radboudumc’s strong history in malaria research, especially in terms of innovation.
Anat Akiva also obtained a Veni grant. She was working in Eindhoven and brought the grant with her when she transferred to Radboudumc. Her research focuses on biomineralization, aiming to understand the processes of hard tissue formation in health and disease.
Were you confident the committee would award you the grant?
Jitske: “I can’t remember ever being as nervous as I was for the Veni defense. It was basically a go or no-go for my research career. It was the final time I was permitted to apply, considering the time constraints of application – no more than three years after completing your PhD. I needed the money to be able to continue in research, which I'm passionate about. The Veni will pay for my income in the coming years, but I'll need more financing to be able to achieve everything I want with my research.”
Rob: “I also had my medical career and other grant applications if I didn’t get the Veni, so not super nervous. Of course, getting a personal grant is so much nicer and gives you more freedom. I want to combine the clinic and research. Attaining a Veni grant is a significant first step to becoming a researcher.”
Annie: “I was surprisingly relaxed for my defense. I knew someone else from my department (Medical Microbiology) was also applying. The chance of both of us getting a Veni grant was very slim. I, therefore, lowered my expectations and also concentrated on getting other grants. It was also nice that I saw my mentor just before I went in. She gave me a word of encouragement, which calmed me down.”
Martijn: "For me, it was the second time applying for the Veni grant, and, like Jitske, it was my last chance to get it. However, as I’d done a defense the year before, I knew what to expect. I was more nervous the first time. Whereas the first time the questions sometimes took me by surprise, I was now totally prepared.”
Do you have tips for PhD candidates considering a career in research?
Martijn: "Choose a topic that truly interests you. No grant application is easy. There are multiple rounds, and I'm sure that if you're not motivated enough, the committee will soon filter you out. It would help if you also took a chance with your topic. Remember: mid-risk means mid-gain."
Annie: “I noticed that the difference between criteria in Australia and Europe is that here they’re looking for more out-of-the-box ideas. In Australia, you almost have to have proven your hypothesis before you get funding. I found my research topic because I kept waiting for someone else to solve an issue that stagnated my research. I scanned all the literature, but the answer never came. So, I decided to solve the problem myself.”
Jiske: “Start with the patient. How could you solve a particular problem they face? It might also be useful to look at the 'front end.' For example: successfully regenerating the kidney after acute renal failure might possibly prevent the progression to end-stage renal disease and the need for dialysis treatment. Also, start writing your proposal on time!"
Rob: “My research is fundamental, yet as it has to do with the immune memory system, it's also applicable to many diseases. That may have helped to get the grant. I think it also helps if your research is a logical next step after your PhD research. That you have the necessary background."
How was the support from RIMLS in trying to attain these national grants?
Rob: “I believe the success rate of awarded Veni-Vidi-Vici grants is a bit higher for Radboudumc than other medical centers.”
Martijn: “I heard that too. I think their pre-selection has a lot to do with it. We have to hand in our proposals to Radboudumc’s Grant Support Office in May. It makes you think about your research a lot.”
Annie: "They expect you to come up with something novel. There are several rounds, discussing your ideas back and forth. The process forces you to think about things, giving you enough time to work out your topic.”
Jitske: “They also help prepare you for what’s to come during the grant application: writing proposals, rebuttals, and interview training.”
Martijn: “It also helps that many PI’s at Radboudumc have also gone through the Veni-Vidi-Vici review process. They know from experience what questions could come up and can help prepare you through mock interviews."
Annie: “RIMLS’s orientation is horizontal. Supervisors include you in their grant applications for bigger projects. You have brainstorm sessions together, and they send grant proposals to everyone on their team for feedback. It teaches you things for your own grant proposals."
Rob: "You're truly part of a team here. And you can ask help from anyone, whether it's another PhD candidate also applying, or a technician or a PI. Everyone is committed to research."
Carl Figdor and Mihai Netea have each received an ERC Advanced Grant
With these grants, Carl Figdor hopes to find a new approach to immunotherapy and Mihai Netea tries to improve vaccinations for the elderly. read moreCarl Figdor and Mihai Netea have each received an ERC Advanced Grant
Carl Figdor, theme Cancer development and immune defense and Mihai Netea, theme Infectious diseases and global health, have each received an ERC Advanced Grant. The amount varies per grant, but is approximately 2.5 million euros. They can use this funding to continue their research for the next five years. In total, there are 21 ERC Advanced Grants granted to researchers of Dutch universities this year.
Carl Figdor - A new approach to immunotherapyIn the ‘ARTimmune’ project, Carl Figdor focuses on the intriguing, novel idea of creating injectable synthetic lymph nodes to attack tumours more directly. His idea may have important implications for clinics. Currently, many cancer patients are failing to respond to immune therapy and new strategies are desperately needed. ARTimmune builds on the success and increasing popularity of immunotherapy in oncology, and seeks to overcome the key limitations of current treatments, such as serious side effects. Current treatments, such as CAR T-cell therapy and checkpoint inhibitors, can result in severe toxicity to normal tissues. Figdor wants to investigate a new approach in which the use of local immunotherapy reduces both toxicity and immune suppression by the tumour. ARTimmune is a direct result of the Institute of Chemical Immunology’s gravity programme, with Figdor being one of the initiators and in which chemists work closely together with immunologists.
Mihai Netea – Improving vaccinations for the elderly
Mihai Netea seeks to understand how our body recognises all those pathogens and fights them effectively. Our immune system consists of an ‘innate’ and a ‘adaptive’ component. We receive this innate component at birth. The adaptive part can ‘learn’ from past infections and develops during our lifetime through direct contact with bacteria, fungi and viruses. The adaptive immune system component stores these contact situations in its immunological memory. Thanks to that memory, the immune system can strike quickly and effectively when a new infection of an already known pathogen is detected. It has long been thought that this memory is an exclusive feature of the learned defences. However, research by Mihai Netea and colleagues shows that this is not the case. The innate system also has a memory, albeit a non-specific one. Something they call ‘trained immunity’. They also discovered that the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis can stimulate the innate immune system’s memory. They demonstrated that the innate immune system responds better to all kinds of other infections after a BCG vaccination has been administered. Now Netea wants to investigate whether the vaccine can be used to boost the immune system of the elderly. Netea and his colleagues hope to clarify the role of different immune cells in trained immunity in order to ultimately determine whether the BCG vaccination can be useful for specific target groups with a weakened immune system.
Sónia Schickert represented the Netherlands at the XVI Conference of the European Ceramic Society
In Torino, Sónia had the opportunity to share her research at one of the most important events showcasing recent advances in ceramic science and technology. read moreSónia Schickert represented the Netherlands at the XVI Conference of the European Ceramic Society
After winning the best oral presentation at the Dutch edition of the National Student Speech Contest, organized by the Dutch Ceramic Society, Sónia de Lacerda Schickert, theme Reconstructive and regenerative medicine, has represented the Netherlands at the XVI conference of the European Ceramic Society in Torino, Italy.Sónia, dentist and researcher of the Department of Biomaterials, focuses her work on the development and optimization of calcium phosphate cements for advanced bone regeneration strategies. In Torino, Sónia had the opportunity to share her research at one of the most important events showcasing recent advances in ceramic science and technology and compete with representatives of the other country members at the European ECerS Student Speech contest.
Royal decoration for Robert Sauerwein as Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion
For his lifelong contribution to society, Robert Sauerwein was presented with a Royal decoration. His research focuses on the development of a vaccine against malaria and thanks to his dedication, such a vaccine is now closer than ever. read moreRoyal decoration for Robert Sauerwein as Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion
Robert Sauerwein has been researching malaria for thirty years. His research is focused on the development of a vaccine against malaria and thanks to his dedication, such a vaccine is now closer than ever. Robert Sauerwein is an internationally recognized malaria expert and is regularly consulted by international organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.X² Ambition Award For Sandra Heskamp
This award is intended for “upcoming women”: young, ambitious women at a stage of their careers, where they make important career choices. read moreX² Ambition Award For Sandra Heskamp
This award is intended for “upcoming women”: young, ambitious women at a stage of their careers, where they make important career choices. This prize is especially for women who show exemplary behavior within the organization where they work, but also outside their organization.From all the nominations, the nomination committee, consisting of Didi Braat and Bertine Lahuis, has chosen the final winner: Sandra Heskamp, theme Rare cancers.
Other nominees for this award were:
- Ilja Heijting
- Milou van Ingen
- Jitske Jansen
- Concha van Rijssel
- Myra Schleedoorn
About women's network X²
The women's network X² consists of highly educated women working at Radboudumc, who want to develop their careers, stay vital in their work and expand their mutual network.
List of awards
A selection of other awards received by our RIMLS researchers in 2019. read moreList of awards
RIMLS awards festival with twelve winners
RIMLS young researchers were awarded with a prize including a financial bonus during the New Year's drinks in the following categories: Best PhD thesis award, Best Master thesis award, Breakthrough paper of the year, Best MIC image, Travel grants to visit a scientific meeting or to perform a work visit.
Cancer development and immune defense
Vidi grant for Matthijs Jore
Matthijs Jore obtained a Vidi grant of 800 kEuro as part of the NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme for his project: The malaria parasite’s fight against our immune system.
Infectious diseases and global health
Veni grant for Rob Arts
Rob Arts received a Veni grant of 250 kEuro from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) for his project: The role of the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-37 and IL-38 for innate immune memory.
Veni grant for Annie Yang
“The secret lives of parasites in hepatocytes during malaria infection” is the title of the Veni grant that Annie Yang received from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).
Vidi grant for Johannes Textor
Johannes Textor obtained a Vidi grant of 800 kEuro as part of the NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme for his project: How Intelligent is the Immune System?
Infectious diseases and global health & Cancer development and immune defense
Leo Joosten, Jos van der Meer, Mihai Netea, Henk Stunnenberg and Frank van de Veerdonk, made it to this year’s list of highly cited researchers
Leo Joosten, Jos van der Meer, Mihai Netea, Henk Stunnenberg and Frank van de Veerdonk, were highly ranked in the list of highly cited researchers in 2019. Researchers in this list are selected for their exceptional research performance and are regarded to have had a major impact on fellow scientists.
Inflammatory diseases
Veni grant for Martijn van den Bosch
Martijn van den Bosch obtained a Veni grant of 250 kEuro from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) for his project: Alarmed monocytes with Janus-faced behavior as the driving force behind OA pathology
Mitochondrial diseases (Metabolic disorders)
Hanne Rooijackers received the Dr. C.J. Roos prize
Hanne Rooijackers has been awarded the Dr. C.J. Roos prize for her thesis “Impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes. The role of lactate.”
Nanomedicine
RIMLS award for Jack Fransen
Jack Fansen was presented with the RIMLS award 2019 for his long-lasting and dedicated commitment to RIMLS in general and in particular to the Microscope Imaging Center (MIC).
Renal disorders
Veni grant for Jitske Jansen
A Veni grant of 250 kEuro was awarded to Jitske Jansen: The REPAIR study: Regeneration of kidnEy ePitheliAl cells crossIng boRders
The 2019 Radboud University Teaching Prize for senior lecturers for Joost Hoenderop
Joost Hoenderop won the 2019 Radboud University Teaching Prize for senior lecturers. The prize is a reward for excellent teaching and consists of a certificate and a sum of 3.000 Euro, two-thirds of which is to be spent on educational activities.
Tumors of the digestive tract
Vidi grant for Daniele Tauriello
With a Vidi grant of 800 kEuro, part of the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) Innovational Research Incentives Scheme, Daniele Tauriello can start building his own research group with the subject: Restoring the immune system to prevent cancer from spreading.
Urological cancers
Rubicon grant for Linda Heskamp
The Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) awarded Linda Heskamp with a Rubicon Grant. The Rubicon program gives young, highly promising researchers the opportunity to gain international research experience. Linda is traveling to the United Kingdom, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre, for 24 months.
Vascular damage
Dekker grant for Siroon Bekkering
Siroon Bekkering, obtained a Dekker grant (209 kEuro) of the Dutch Heart Foundation. This competitive grant allows Siroon to perform her project “Trained innate immunity at the level of bone marrow progenitors as driver of atherosclerosis development.”
Dutch National Postdoc award for Siroon Bekkering
Siroon Bekkering, postdoc at both the Radboudumc, Dept. of Internal medicine, and the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, is the winner of the Dutch National Postdoc Prize 2019. At the award ceremony 16 March 2019, Siroon Bekkering received 10 kEuro and a certificate. She will use the prize money for her follow-up research into the memory of the innate immune system of patients with cardiovascular diseases.