Martina has expertise is in the field of ecotoxicology. An important milestone in her research career is that fact that she received a VIDI grant (2014) from NWO. The focus is on nano-ecotoxicology.

More information about Martina Vijver

Leader of the research line "Chemical stressors and impacts on biodiversity"

Brief summary of research over the last years

My expertise is in the field of ecotoxicology. An important milestone in my research career is that fact that I received a VIDI grant (2014) from NWO. The focus is on nano-ecotoxicology. 
The nanotoxicological research field is new, multidisciplinairy and moves fast both a scientific perspective, the policy that will be developed and at the production perspective where many different NPs have been and will be manufactured rapidly. I believe that NPs give new solutions in many different branches, e.g. biomedical and technical, and I am very positive on this. Nevertheless, I am aware of unwarranted side-effects and my ambition is to create a scientific understanding on the potential risks that can occur. 
Another milestone is the NWO ASPASIA grant (2013) that I received to quantify joint effects of mixtures of chemicals with low concentrations on aquatic communities. In this project I collect data and develop models in order to answer the research question: “how can we quantitatively predict the ecological effects on aquatic communities of low, individually non-toxic concentrations of both chemical dissolved molecules and particles that co-occur in the field?” 
And earlier in my career I achieve the VENI-grant (2008) from NWO in which I aimed to quantify metal-induced ecological effects in the field. In this research I gathered knowledge on the mechanisms underlying such effects, accounting for explicit field parameters to improve predictive effect models by incorporating bioavailability.   
My research is broad in nature, but concentrates around the impacts of physical and chemical stressors on biodiversity, with a focus on unraveling effect mechanisms. Apart from science, I am projectleader of several projects in which we advise policymakers. Examples of valorization of scientific results to the larger public are our websites  www.pnecpro.com and  www.bestrijdingsmiddelenatlas.nl.

Supervisor in dissertations, co-promotor of PhD-students

• Roel Heutink is working as techician in the research group.
• Wouter Veneman is working as a technical research assistant. His main research focus is on detecting nanoparticles in zebrafish embryos.
• Ellard Hunting is an aquatic ecologist working as post doc. His main research focus is on dispersion constrains of macrofauna in the field.
• Jan Baas is a theoretical modeller and works as (guest) post doc. His main research focus is on chemical mixtures and field effects.
   

Succesfully completed PhD-candidates

Publications