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!
Stephanie Popping and Wendy Dankers AUF Startstipendium
For the second time, the AUF Startstipendium Grant has been awarded to 9 promising young scientists from Amsterdam UMC. Funded by the Amsterdam University Fund, this €25,000 grant per researcher supports groundbreaking medical research and educational initiatives, helping these academic talents elevate their careers. We are proud to mention that among the recipients are two AI&I researchers: Dr. Stephanie Popping and Dr. Wendy Dankers.
Dr. Popping will investigate the role and financial benefits of NGS techniques in microbiological diagnostics. Dr Popping: ‘My research focuses on the question in which patient group the immediate use of advanced diagnostic techniques based on NGS can contribute to faster diagnosis at lower cost’. In certain patient groups, a large number of diagnostic tests are often requested. These tests may either be conducted all at once or step by step, particularly when dealing with unclear or rare diagnoses. Within her research project Dr. Popping will focus on identifying the patient group in which next-generation sequencing (NGS), with or without broad PCR techniques, can facilitate faster and more cost-effective diagnoses.
This research project also aims to clarify the optimal placement of NGS-based techniques into daily clinical practice. Specifically, the study targets patients presenting with fever accompanied by an extensive differential diagnosis list. Dr. Popping will collect data from electronic health records to analyze healthcare utilization, which will be translated into cost assessments. Additionally, residue samples will be utilized for diagnostic purposes as part of the study.
Dr. Dankers research project is titled: ‘Researching pregnancy complications in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus through an innovative organ model’. With this Startstipendium, Dr. Dankers will develop a novel organoid-based culture model to mimic the maternal-fetal interface. Using this model, she will then study how the immune system of women with SLE interacts with placental cells, aiming to uncover mechanisms contributing to the high risk of pregnancy complications in these women.
Earlier this year, Dr. Dankers, in collaboration with Dr. Lisa van Baarsen, was honored with the prestigious Lupus Innovation Award (LIA).
Paul Elbers Secures €300,000 for ICU Ventilation Project
Dr. Paul Elbers has been awarded €300,000 to work on the ICU project “Ventilation.” The funding is provided by INDICATE, a major European collaborative initiative aimed at improving intensive care treatment. As part of this project, hospitals share extensive data, including information from patient monitors and ventilators.
At Amsterdam UMC, intensivist Dr. Elbers and his team will leverage artificial intelligence to determine the most effective ventilation strategies tailored to individual patients. The broader INDICATE project, supported by the European Commission, has a total budget of €10 million.
Learn more about Paul Elbers’ research:
Right dose, right now: decision support software AutoKinetics advises healthcare professionals in ICU antibiotics dosage (December 2022)
Groundbreaking: Artificial intelligence supports ICU physicians in patient discharge decision (August 2022)
'Data of ICU patients can answer thousands of questions' (April 2022)
Hugo van Poelgeest Prize awarded to Giulia Moreni
On November 15, clinical virologist Giulia Moreni was honored as a "Scientist of the Future." Moreni won both the jury and audience awards of the Hugo van Poelgeest Prize, totaling €5,000, for her research using human stem cells. Her work provides greater insights into the progression of viral infections, paving the way for personalized treatments.
Every two years, the Hugo van Poelgeest Prize is awarded by Stichting Proefdiervrij (Animal-Free Research Foundation) and Stichting Bouwstenen voor Dierenwelzijn (Building Blocks for Animal Welfare Foundation) to a young researcher conducting innovative, animal-free research.
Moreni deliberately conducts her research with human stem cells, viewing this approach as both an ethical and result-oriented choice.