My academic career started as a student Bio-pharmaceutical sciences (Bsc & Msc) at Leiden university. During my internships in the group of Prof. dr. IJzerman and Prof. dr. Heitman I worked on ligand-receptor binding kinetics for GPCRs. For my second Master internship in decided to go abroad to join the lab of Prof. dr. Mark Wheatley at the University of Birmingham. Here, my research focused on detergent free solubilization of GPCRs by styrene-co-maleic acid strategy (SMALP). These internships developed my keen interest in molecular pharmacology of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Following my Master graduation in 2014, I had the opportunity to continue working on GPCRs during my PhD at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam in the group of Prof dr. Rob Leurs. Here my research focused on ways to modulate GPCR signaling with a key focus on light sensitive-molecules containing a photoswitchable moiety as tools to influence GPCR activity with light. In addition, I developed bioluminescent tools to study Histamine H3 receptor activity in real-time. In 2020, I successfully defended my dissertation. In April 2020, I returned as a postdoc in the group of Prof. Dr. Laura Heitman where I will aid in developing novel label free assays to study Solute Carrier proteins (SLCs). This family of transporter proteins are currently underappreciated due to a lack of available tools to study these membrane proteins. However, these SLC have a great potential as novel therapeutic targets, as they facilitate transport of a large variety of molecules ( i.e. drugs, neurotransmitters, hormones, ions ect.) across the cell membrane and, thereby regulate cellular homeostasis. Within the ReSOLUTE consortium we aim to enhance SLC research by developing novel tools and assays to study and deorphanize this class of transporter proteins.

Publications