For Postdoc Appreciation Week 2025 (#PAW-NL), we highlight Emma Twait, a postdoctoral researcher at Amsterdam Public Health (APH) at the General Practice department, working within the research programs Aging & Later Life and Personalized Medicine. Her journey is marked by personal motivation, multidisciplinary research, and a commitment to collaboration and inclusion.

Personal motivation and academic journey

Emma’s fascination with the brain began at age 16 in a psychology class. Inspired by her grandmother’s Alzheimer’s and her father’s work as an environmental engineer, she developed a unique blend of personal and scientific motivation. Originally from the US, Emma moved to the Netherlands for a master’s in neuropsychology at Maastricht University. She loved the country and decided to stay, pursuing a PhD in epidemiology at UMC Utrecht with a focus on dementia and depression. She continued her research at Amsterdam UMC and is now in her second year as a postdoc.

Diverse research and daily balance

Emma’s postdoc work centers on prevention, a broad and impactful field. One of her projects studied the impact of reducing Amsterdam’s speed limit from 50 km to 30 km on nitrogen oxides emissions. Another, which she supervises, investigates sex differences in dementia.

“Balancing these two very different projects means there’s always a lot going on. What I’ve learned is to keep an overall to-do list, but also a daily one. Taking things day by day helps me see progress in each project.”
Emma Twait
APH Postdoc
Challenges, growth, and connection

A major challenge as a postdoc is growing into independence. “I want to start a new research line, but sometimes I feel too young: the imposter syndrome. I’m balancing wanting to be independent with not yet being a senior.” Emma manages this by reaching out, having discussions, and learning from others on how to navigate the academic landscape. “Talking to different researchers helps me realize I’m not alone. Thinking out of the box together makes us realize we can also combine disciplines.” She also values social activities for postdocs: “I think they add more than we realize!”

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee

Emma is active in the APH Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee, organizing monthly lunch & learn meetings on inclusive research to connect PhDs, postdocs, and seniors. “I encourage everyone to set up such meetings around any research topic you would like to learn more about. It’s valuable for everyone. You will see how much you can learn from each other, even in a small group.”

Multidisciplinary connections and advice

Emma is often surprised by how connected researchers truly are. “At first, you might think we’re all different from one another, but when you have coffee together, coming in prepared with some ideas and willingness to brainstorm, you see that multidisciplinary projects are more visible than you expect.”

Her advice for others:

“Just have coffee with other people, go for it, and don’t forget to celebrate even the smallest successes! When you have a certain title, you might be afraid to mingle, but break out of your bubble and ask questions, you never know what you’ll find. Stay open.”
Emma Twait
APH Postdoc