Recently, several prestigious prizes and grants have been awarded to our AI&I members. Learn more about these accomplished individuals and their projects in the article below!

Alsya Affandi – NWO & Faculty of Impact Entrepreneurship Grant

Dr. Alsya Affandi has been awarded the prestigious NWO & Faculty of Impact Entrepreneurship Grant, providing €200,000 in funding and two years of support to turn his research into a scalable startup. Through coaching and entrepreneurship training, the Faculty of Impact program helps researchers create real societal and economic impact.

Dr. Affandi’s project will focus on a smarter nanobody vaccine for cancer therapy. Although current vaccines can train our immune system to fight infections, they are not yet effective for cancer therapy. The issue is that they are not effectively taken up by the correct component of the immune system, the antigen-presenting cells, the 'teacher cells', which are crucial for cancer immunity. Dr. Affandi will be developing a smart vaccine that is delivered directly to these cells, enhancing the immune system's ability to fight cancer, and bringing this technology to market through a new venture.

More information: Fellows – Agriculture, water and food and Circular Economy - Faculty of Impact

Jelmer Savelkoel – KNAW Van Walree Fund

Five medical researchers have been awarded funding from the KNAW Van Walree Fund to support innovative initiatives that promote sustainable knowledge sharing among professionals. Each recipient receives up to €10,000. One of them is Jelmer Savelkoel, member of the Infectious Diseases program at the Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases. His research focuses on the severely neglected tropical disease melioidosis.

Jelmer, a clinical researcher at Amsterdam UMC, studies melioidosis—a severely neglected tropical disease caused by the soil bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. The bacterium spreads through exposure to contaminated soil or water, leading to potentially life-threatening conditions such as lung infections, sepsis, and abscesses.

To raise awareness, Jelmer’s project will produce an ethnographic film documenting the experiences of melioidosis patients, their families, and healthcare providers. The film will be featured on an online disease-specific education platform, illustrating the real-life impact of melioidosis and enhancing scientific understanding of the patient experience. This will be the first ethnographic film dedicated to melioidosis patients, contributing valuable insights to both medical research and public awareness.

More information about the awarded nominees of the KNAW van Walree Fund.

This is not the first time Jelmer has made an impact! We have written about his work before, check out our articles:

Reduced disease burden and mortality in Nigeria through improved recognition and treatment of melioidosis (September 2023)

Melioidosis deserves a spot on the WHO list of neglected tropical diseases (November 2022)

Nominees UvA thesis prize 2022 announced! (April 2022)

Theo Rispens - Appointed Professor of Molecular Immunology and Biotherapeutics

Theo Rispens has been appointed Professor of Molecular Immunology and Biotherapeutics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, effective December 1, 2024.

This position enables Prof. Rispens to advance his research on the immune system, a key player in both health and disease. “The immune system can be both a problem and a solution,” he explains. “It may respond too weakly or too strongly, making it central to many conditions and their treatment.”