Four esteemed researchers within the Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity (AII) have been granted VIDI awards by the prestigious Dutch Research Council (NWO).
- Dr. Sarah Derks is spearheading research in Cancer Immunology. She focuses on tackling stomach-oesophageal cancers, notorious for suppressing the immune system. Dr. Derks aims to unravel the immune-suppressive mechanisms and test immune-stimulating therapies in patient-derived tumour models.
- Dr. Lieuwe Bos is delving into Inflammatory Diseases, particularly acute lung attacks. With one in three patients succumbing to this condition, Dr. Bos navigates treatment effects to identify life-saving interventions, paving the way for personalised treatments.
- Dr. Joep Grootjans is tackling colorectal cancer metastasis to the peritoneum. He aims to improve treatment response by investigating how immune cells in the abdominal cavity contribute to cancer growth.
- Dr. Elena Rampanelli is focused on Inflammatory Diseases and diabetes mellitus. Her research explores a naturally occurring metabolite secreted by gut bacteria that enhances beta cell function and reduces inflammation. This promising discovery may offer a natural therapeutic avenue for diabetes mellitus management.
These VIDI grants, each worth up to 800,000 euros, enable these researchers to push the boundaries of innovation in infection and immunity research and will enable the researchers to develop an innovative line of research over the next five years and further expand their own research group. For more details, visit the NWO website (Vidi 2022 | NWO).