Researchers at the Faculty of Science work at the frontiers of knowledge every day, tackling today's major societal challenges. Their work is recognised through grants, prizes and other awards. We highlight some of these achievements below.
Funding for research on atypical B cells and T-cell therapy
Amanda Foks, together with Menno van Zelm and Marvin van Luijn (Erasmus MC), has received a ZonMw grant through the Open Competition. With this funding, the team will study the role of atypical B cells in cardiovascular disease and multiple sclerosis. These immune cells can have both harmful and protective effects. The researchers will combine laboratory experiments with patient data to gain a clearer picture of disease processes and explore potential treatment options for the future.
Joost Beltman has also received a grant from the ZonMw Open Competition, in collaboration with Monika Wolkers (Amsterdam UMC). In this project, the researchers will investigate how human T cells regulate their signalling responses when fighting cancer, including conditions that resemble the stressful environment inside tumours. By combining advanced experiments with computer simulations, the team aims to improve our understanding of T‑cell behaviour and help refine future T‑cell‑based cancer therapies.
Three new professors at the Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science has welcomed three new professors as of 1 April. Daniel Rozen has been appointed Professor of Microbial Evolution at the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL). Frank Takes becomes Professor of Network Science at LIACS, where he focuses on algorithms for controlling complex systems. Matthijs van Leeuwen has also joined LIACS as Professor of Explainable Machine Learning and plans to place greater emphasis on transparent and interpretable AI in both research and teaching.
