Hi! I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Medical Biochemistry group of the Amsterdam University Medical Center in the field of Vascular Cell Biology with Jaap van Buul. I did my PhD in Biophysics within the Soft Matter Research Group at the Instute of Physics in Amsterdam in the FluidLab of Mazi Jalaal. Before that I worked on bioluminescence of single celled algae at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics in Cambridge with Ray Goldstein, and on the coordination and transport of nuclei in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS, Göttingen) with Karen Alim.
Studying plants, algae, slime-molds and endothelial cells gave me a huge perspective of the physics of living nature across the tree of life. My research revolves around the topic of adaptation and resilience. Biological systems adapt, behave and coordinate in order to survive in ever-changing environments. Any form of excessive disbalance of such homeostasis can however be detrimental for organism or eco-system survival. Uncovering the mechanisms of adaptive processes - be it photoadaptation motion of chloroplasts in plants and algae, mechano-response of single-celled algae, the reshuffling of mass and nuclei in giant single celled organisms (Physarum polycephalum) or the interaction of endothelium and immune cells during immune response - not only deepens our knowledge of nature and its stability, but may uncover novel physical principles, that are not found in the non-living world and beyond that may enhance our understanding how to re-establish homeostasis conditions for organisms - a critical quest to understand and mitigate effects of climate change and disease.
Currently I focus on Vascular Immunology, by coordinating a synergy program involving various research groups at the Amsterdam Medical Center and the University of Amsterdam. We study the interaction of vascular endothelial cells and immune cells to tackle problems like vascular leakage during immune response, as found in chronic and hyper-inflammation conditions (Covid, Sepsis, ARDS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and more). The synergy program combines a wide palette of approaches and techniques: Molecular Dynamics simulations, AI-assisted drug design, computational hemodynamics, biophysics, fluorescent biosensor design, advanced microscopy, biochemistry, cell biology, experimental medicine and clinical research. By bridging as many relevant fields as possible we aim to tackle this multi-scale problem from the molecular mechanisms up to medical implementation. In my research I bridge quantitativ microscopy methods of various scales, implement high-throughput image-based screens (CellPaint) and dynamic confocal microscopy to unravel the biophysical principles and signaling that lead to vascular leakage and guide immune cells passing the endothelial barrier.
My research is ultimately curiosity driven with the big goal to do something that helps and inspires people around me. I love working together with artists and designers, to contribute and learn beyond the scope of science, to reach out to and get inspired by other communities.