Wendy Dankers, a biomedical technologist and researcher at Amsterdam Reproduction & Development (AR&D), has been awarded the prestigious AUF Startstipendium to explore the impact of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) on pregnancy.
SLE, an autoimmune disease that predominantly affects women, can lead to serious pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, preterm birth, and growth retardation in the baby. Current data shows up to 50% of women with SLE experience these challenges, highlighting the urgent need for further research.
Dankers’ research focuses on how SLE affects the immune system’s ability to accept the placenta and fetus, a process essential for a healthy pregnancy. By creating an advanced lab model of the placenta, she studies how immune cells from SLE patients interact with placental cells. The goal is to understand how these interactions differ from healthy pregnancies and uncover ways to prevent or alleviate pregnancy complications.
On January 27, 2025, Wendy Dankers kicked off the week with a festive breakfast celebrating the Startstipendium awards. During the event, she was interviewed by Melchior Bussink, Director of the Amsterdam University Fund, marking a significant moment in her research journey.
This research not only promises better outcomes for women with SLE but could also expand to other autoimmune diseases and provide insights into healthy pregnancy mechanisms. The AUF Startstipendium grant enables Dankers to further develop her research, with the ultimate aim of improving the safety and health of pregnancies for women with autoimmune conditions.
With her work, Dankers is paving the way for breakthroughs in reproductive immunology, potentially revolutionizing the care of pregnant women with SLE and similar disorders.
Read the full article (in Dutch) here.