“When radiation kills a large number of precursor cells in a certain part of the brain, it seems like the obvious choice to either leave the remaining cells alone, or to stimulate them further. But in my laboratory research, I’m removing even more of them. That might sound counterintuitive, but we know that these cells can regrow incredibly fast in healthy brains when a few surviving cells start dividing again. That’s exactly the kind of response I hope to trigger by first making it ‘worse’.”
“When I go off the beaten track, I feel the thrill of fresh, untouched snow. I feel creativity, as well as tension because I’m entering unfamiliar territory. This is a completely new research field. Only two years ago, researchers first discovered how rapidly OPCs can divide, and that they can regrow when removed from the brain. I think it’s essential to be able to do high-risk research like this, which is now possible thanks to the NWO Off Road grant. It’s the only way to make unexpected discoveries and potentially uncover something extraordinary that helps us better understand the side effects of cancer treatments. Science is my passion: it’s a fundamental part of who I am.”