NKI alumna Iris van ’t Erve: “It is important to me that my work benefits society and that it challenges me”

As a PhD student, she was already analyzing patient blood, looking for leads to help advance cancer care. Even now, across the ocean, Iris van ’t Erve is still sinking her teeth into this promising liquid biopsy. She is trying to use blood samples from lung cancer patients to predict who will respond to immunotherapy. This time at Stanford University, California.

So far so good, as a postdoc in California?
The location and work suit me well. I have a very challenging role that allows me the freedom to put my own ideas into practice. My extremely motivated colleagues at Stanford energize me. I don’t know many people who are as sharp, clever, and driven as them. And I love working on research with a clear benefit for patients in the near future.

How do you expect your work to affect the lives of patients?
I am working towards better techniques to measure tumor DNA and RNA in the blood. That should help us detect cancer earlier and more reliably. I also investigate whether these DNA and RNA molecules in the blood can predict whether immunotherapy will be effective for a particular patient, which should help us avoid unnecessary treatment with all the associated side effects.

You didn't move to the US alone, did you?
That’s true, I came here together with my partner, Matthias. I wanted to join a large research group abroad after my PhD, to learn more about bioinformatics and improve my lab skills. I talked online to a few group leaders in my research field, and two of them were a good match. They both offered me a placement, but Stanford matched Matthias’ own career. And I love outdoor activities like rowing, biking, hiking, and skiing – all of those are available in California. The NOW recently awarded me a Rubicon scholarship, which allowed me to continue my research for the coming two years.

How do you like to spend your time once you’ve removed yourself from the grasp of science?
I like physical and mental challenges, and I like to surround myself with people. In addition to my outdoor activities, I enjoy hosting events like cooking for friends. I play games, and I’m quite competitive, haha. I like to learn new things – I’m currently studying Spanish. And I call my family and friends in Europe often. It’s not always easy to live on the other side of the planet. Unfortunately, I had to miss some happy and sad occasions of my friends and family, like weddings and funerals.

How do you look back on your PhD research at the Netherlands Cancer Institute?
It was a fun and educational time. One thing that really stuck with me was the enthusiasm about unexpected results, and studying these in-depth. And of course the nice retreats and conferences with my NKI colleagues. The lab taught me a lot about the more bureaucratic, political side of science.

Getting your PhD is quite tricky, isn’t it?
Certainly. It’s not all roses. One time something went wrong during a collaboration, and we lose nearly half of our blood samples. Terrible. And COVID-19 impacted our PhD students significantly. Luckily, I was able to analyze a lot of data from home and managed to continue my articles there. Unfortunately not everybody had entered that phase of the process, and that was difficult for me to see.

How can PhD students make sure that they have a good experience?
PhD students have a lot of options available to them at the NKI, as long as they talk to the right people. That’s why I recommend contacting lots of people outside your own department. And stand up for your rights, like the right to holidays. It’s not okay to get little to no time off. I joined the PhD student council. This is an awesome group of PhD students, and I am very proud of what the council has accomplished.

You didn't sit still, did you?
Haha, I’m not very good at that, no. I inherited that from my grandma, who still can’t sit still. Procrastination is not a part of my vocabulary. And seeing inequality or injustice really angers me. It’s very important to me that my work benefits society and that it challenges me as a person. When I was younger, my parents told me to do something fulfilling. Well, I get plenty of that here!