Briefly, tell us about your background and career up to this point?
I am a Research Associate for the TOUR team. I joined in September 2018 and I am currently working on the PIONEER project. In parallel, I am also pursuing my part time PhD focusing on patient treatment choices in kidney cancer.
I received my BSc in European Public Health from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, followed by a MSc, double degree in Public Policy and Human Development from the United Nations University for Economic and Social Research on Innovation and Technology and Maastricht University. I wrote my MSc dissertation as part of a research project of the Wellcome Trust Expert Advisory Group on Data Access, while interning for the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies. After my MSc, I moved to London for a traineeship at the European Medicines Agency and worked for a health policy consultancy before I joined the TOUR team.
What is a typical day like for you, and how has this changed from when you’d commute to the office?
My day has not changed too much in terms of work. The PIONEER consortia is an EU- wide initiative and my communication with our work package has always been via skype or email. Therefore, I am in the lucky position to continue my work as usual.
However, the TOUR team is a great group to work with. We work quite closely together and have a lot of interaction during the day. Unfortunately, now I am not able anymore to just turn around and ask one of my colleagues a question.
What do you think people in the School would find most surprising about you?
I almost never wear matching socks. I somehow struggle to find a matching pair in my drawer.
How have you adjusted so far to working from home?
Very well. My work has not changed much, and it is really easy to be in contact with the team and Mieke van Hemelrijck supports us a lot. I am working longer hours than usual, but it is also easier to take breaks in between.
How have you been staying connected with friends and family?
Skype, Facetime, Whats App calls, Zoom... we are using all of the available options. We are doing workouts via Zoom and join the same yoga sessions. Lately, we are also obsessed with playing Bananagrams via Facetime - highly recommended!
What’s your typical morning coffee order?
Skinny cappuccino.
What advice would you give to yourself to your 18 year old self?
Worry less. Issues which do not impact you next year are not worth stressing about.
Can you tell us a bit about your current research project(s)?
The PIONEER Consortium is an international collaboration led by the European Association of Urology which aims to improve best evidence-based management and clinical practice of PCa across all disease stages using the power of big data analytics towards a more outcome-driven, value-based, and patient-centric healthcare system. Mieke van Hemelrijck is leading the WP2 of the PIONEER project where we work on the development and standardisation of a core outcome set of clinically relevant standardised prostate cancer-related outcomes and prognostic and diagnostic factors. We have almost finalised the work around the development of the core outcome sets and are currently conducting a wide systematic review to identify the literature around diagnostic and prognostic factors across all stages of prostate cancer.
My part time PhD aims to determine the most influential facilitators in kidney cancer treatment selection by comparing three different clinical units and models of care in the UK. We are working together with the Royal Marsden Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital and Guy’s Hospital. I am in the very lucky position to be able to attend clinics across the three hospitals and also watch surgeries, while working on my desk-based research. It is really exciting to get a real ‘translational’ experience.
QUICK-FIRE
You'd prefer to be locked down in which season... Spring
Your favourite book... I try to read only in German and prefer thrillers
You'd binge watch which Netflix series... ‘The Last Dance’- a new Netflix series on Michael Jordan
You'd happily spend an hour cooking... Kaiserschmarrn