From a young age, Nanne de Boer has had an interest in the medical field, and this interest only grew. This led him to eventually become a gastroenterologist at the Amsterdam UMC. Once the next merger wave has taken place, he will perform all his duties at the Boelelaan. This year, he will start a new assignment as one of the AGEM co-directors, replacing Stan van de Graaf. Keep reading to find out more about his life and plans for AGEM.
Looking back
How did Nanne end up at the Amsterdam UMC?
Not many of you will have happy recollections of being sick as a child, but for Nanne it actually holds some treasured memories. There was something about visiting the general practitioner’s office that made him excited to be sick. This special interest already started in the waiting room, where he always wondered: Why is that person here? What could be happening inside of that person? “The ultimate treat came when I could finally enter the treatment room and see all the general practitioner’s instruments”, Nanne recounts happily.
The plan was to either become a doctor, a marine or a chef. Looking back, I am glad I picked the first option
In high school, it turned out that he also enjoyed the courses that are needed to become a doctor, such as biology and chemistry. There was a brief moment where he considered becoming either a marine or a chef, but eventually he decided to study medicine. “But that has never stopped me from still enjoying delicious, home cooked meals”, Nanne laughs.
At the Maastricht UMC, while performing residency at the pathology department, he had his first encounter with intestinal research while investigating bowel sections of patients suffering from Crohn’s disease. After also completing a scientific internship of twin research into Crohn’s and colitis, he was hooked. His decision to become a Gastroenterologist led him to the university medical center with an advanced Gastroenterology and Hepatology department: Amsterdam UMC!
The out of the box ideas and overall energy and motivation of young researchers are my key to eternal youth
Now he is thriving in his job due to the perfect combination of patient care, scientific education and research. “Especially the interaction with the younger generation of researchers is valuable, they provide me with new and creative ideas and their motivation and energy is infectious”, Nanne says with a smile on his face.
Road to AGEM
Due to intensive contact with Gerd Bouma, one of the founders of AGEM, Nanne was already up to date on everything in AGEM. “The enthusiasm of Gerd was contagious, so my opinion of AGEM has always been positive”, Nanne tells us, “and the practical advantages of the institute have always been clear to me”.
So, when Paul Fockens came into his office and alerted him on the vacancy for the new AGEM co-director, Nanne jumped into action straight away. ”After meeting with Stan and Anita, I was positive I could have a valuable and significant impact on the AGEM research institute”, Nanne says confidently. On top of that, he sees the directorship as a great opportunity to learn more about all the other research being done at our institute.
Looking ahead
Nanne strongly believes in the value of AGEM, which is why a big part of his plans are focused on increasing the reach of AGEM. Both externally, by creating an even more widespread recognition of the institute, and internally, by increasing the sense of pride and the sense of belonging of the AGEM researchers. “Furthermore, I would like to play a role in expanding and concretizing the advantages of being part of the institute even further”, Nanne adds.
Nanne’s directorial plans for AGEM
- Add even more practical value
- Increase enthusiasm and pride of affiliated researchers
- Reinforce external reputation
Although Nanne is inherently a positive and enthusiastic person, he still recognizes that there will be some challenges to reaching his goals. For example, the fact that all AGEM researchers will continue to be divided across the two Amsterdam UMC locations. But, all in all, Nanne de Boer is excited to be part of AGEM. “I am curious to find out what AGEM can accomplish the next few years and how I can play a part in the developments”, Nanne expresses.
Overall, I am just really curious and excited to see how it will go and what we can achieve