Marije Kuiken
I started my PhD in the Voest group in November, but I have been a part of the group since January of this year already. While doing my master’s in Biomedical Science (Experimental Internal Medicine), I felt a clear pull towards (translational) personalized medicine research and this led me to the Voest group for my second research internship. Even as a master’s intern, I was made to feel very welcome as an integrated member of the group.
During my internship, I worked with immune cells and with the lab’s biobank of patient derived tumour organoids, both a first for me. The combined expertise of the computational, clinical and fundamental researchers in this lab (who are also all very kind) makes it a unique team to learn a lot from (and in). Therefore, I am really happy that I can continue doing research here and I am looking forward to the years to come!
Theodoros Foskolos
Shortly after completing my MSc in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, I sought an environment where I could apply my skills in a translational setting, working with human data to explore the complexity of the immune system. The Voest lab captured my interest because it brought together an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, wet-lab researchers, and computational scientists.
My first months in the Voest lab have been exciting. I was introduced to new concepts that directly link research to clinical practice, such as the Drug-Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP) and the analysis of tumor organoid cultures. The lab's warm welcome and strong support facilitated my quick integration into the team and deepened my understanding of the focused research topics.
My goal is to harness the massive output of high-quality genomic and clinical data, using cutting-edge computational and statistical techniques. I aim investigate the complex mechanisms underlying disease and contribute to the development of a precision medicine pipelines that could potentially benefit millions of patients.