Through the years
Alumni
PhD student
Yorick received his BSc from Utrecht University in 2013. In 2017 he obtained his MSc degree from the same university, after performing internships at the University Medical Center in Utrecht and at Stanford University (USA).
He joined the group in February 2017 and works on identifying the mammary stem cell niche. Yorick left the lab in January 2022.
Check Yorick's LinkedIn profile to see where he is now.
PhD student
In 2016 Saskia received her MSc degree (cum laude) from the University of Amsterdam, where she followed the track "Cell Biology and Advanced Microscopy". During her master she did an internship in the van Amerongen lab and went abroad for her second internship with Nadine Peyriéras (CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette France).
Saskia returned to the group to start a PhD in September 2016 and uses advanced microscopy techniques to further elucidate molecular mechanisms of Wnt signaling. This project is carried out in close collaboration with Dr. Mark Hink. Saskia left the lab in September 2021.
Check Saskia's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Larissa Mourao, PhD
postdoc
Larissa received her MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in 2013, specialising in Developmental Biology.
She then pursued her PhD work in the laboratory of Silvia Fre at the Institut Curie in Paris, where she focused in the identification and molecular characterisation of an intestinal cancer stem cell population expressing the Notch1 receptor.
Larissa was awarded her PhD in 2017. She joined the group in January 2018 to work on the role of aberrant Wnt signalling in breast cancer, using both mouse and human (breast cancer) three-dimensional organoid cultures. Larissa left the lab in April 2020.
Check Larissa's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Amber Zeeman, BASc
technician
Amber received her BASc degree in 2013, after completing internships at the Utrecht Medical Center and the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
She briefly worked as a technician for Jos Jonkers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in 2013 and joined the group in November of the same year.
She has established the primary three-dimensional organoid culture system in the lab and continues to explore other complex in vitro culture systems.
In December 2017 her temporary position became permanent. Amber left the lab in April 2020.
Check Amber's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
senior postdoc
Katrin received her MSc degree in Human Biology from the University of Marburg in 2008.
During her PhD with Martin Eilers at the Biocenter in Würzburg, Katrin focused on MYC oncoproteins and developed her passion for mammary gland biology and breast cancer research.
She received her PhD in 2016 (summa cum laude).
Katrin joined the lab in January 2015 and works on identifying and manipulating the mammary stem cell niche.
In 2016, she was awarded a 2-year Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship.
In collaboration with the UvA-FNWI career service, Katrin also established the SILS career lunch series, which aims to inspire PhD students and postdocs to take charge of their own career development by exploring different career perspectives.
In January 2019 her temporary position became permanent and in July 2019 she was awarded a highly competitive NWO VENI grant. Katrin left the lab in December 2019.
Check Katrin's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
PhD student
Nika received her MSc degree from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam in December 2013.
During the Master Oncology she worked as an intern in the labs of Tom Wurdinger (VUmc Cancer Center Amsterdam) and Puck Knipscheer (Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht).
In 2014 she did an extracurricular internship in the lab of David Virshup at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore, where she worked on Wnt signaling.
Nika joined the group in October 2014 and works on identifying the mammary stem cell niche.
Nika left the lab in October 2019. She defended her PhD thesis in July 2021.
Check Nika's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
PhD student
After completing internships in the labs of Hans Clevers (Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht) and Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz (Cambridge University, UK), Anoeska received her MSc degree from Utrecht University in 2013.
She joined the group in March 2014 and works on identifying the mammary stem cell niche. In addition, she also uses CRISPR technology to modify genes implicated in Wnt signal transduction with the goal of visualizing Wnt signaling in real time.
Anoeska left the lab in December 2018 to start a position as assistant manager at SILS.
Check Anoeska's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Former MSc students:
Britt Balvers, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, DTB track)
January 2022 - August 2022
Research project: Visualizing the junctional landscape in the mouse mammary gland
Britt worked under the supervision of Renee and Tanne and went on to do her second internship at the UMC Amsterdam (location AMC).
Check Britt's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Florence Wavreil, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, CBAM track)
January 2022 - July 2022
Research project: Live dynamics of beta-catenin in Wnt signaling and cell adhesion
Florence worked under the supervision of Tanne and went on to do her second internship at the UMC Amsterdam (location AMC).
Check Florence's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Muriel Wagner, MSc internship (double master Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, DTB track)
January 2022 - July 2022
Research project: Regulation of Wnt4 gene expression
Muriel worked under the supervision of Marleen and went on to do her medical residency.
Check Muriel's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Fleur van Schravendijk, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, DTB track)
January 2022 - July 2022
Research project: WNT and BMP signaling in the mammary gland
Fleur worked under the supervision of Thijs.
Check Fleur's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Jenny Heijkoop, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Oncology track)
February 2021 - August 2021
Research project: Tissue-specific WNT/CTNNB1 signalling in the mammary gland
Jenny is performing her internship under the supervision of Renee and is using multiple online tools to investigate existing datasets to generate new hypotheses to be tested in the lab once the COVID-19 pandemic allows.
Melanie Rietveld, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry and Biotechnology track)
February 2021 - August 2021
Research project: Functional imaging of CTNNB1
Melanie received her BSc from Amsterdam University College and is currently investigating the intracellular behavior of CTNNB1 under the supervision of Tanne van der Wal.
Uliana Shvetsova, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Developmental and Therapeutic Biology track)
February 2021 - July 2021
Research project: Tissue-specific regulation of WNT/CTNNB1 signaling
Uliana is performing her internship under the supervision of Renee and is using multiple online tools and existing datasets to generate new hypotheses regarding the regulation of Fzd6 and Fzd7, which can be tested in the lab once the COVID-19 pandemic allows.
Omayma Al-Qezweny, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Developmental and Therapeutic Biology track)
February 2021 - July 2021
Research project: Tissue-specific regulation of WNT/CTNNB1 signaling
Omayma is performing her internship under the supervision of Renee and is using multiple online tools and existing datasets to generate new hypotheses regarding the regulation of Wnt5a and Wnt5b, which can be tested in the lab once the COVID-19 pandemic allows.
Jobana Ananthasabesan, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Oncology track)
February 2021 - September 2021
Research project: Tissue-specific WNT/CTNNB1 signaling in the mammary gland
Jobana is performing her internship under the supervision of Renee and is using multiple online tools to investigate existing datasets to generate new hypotheses to be tested in the lab once the COVID-19 pandemic allows.
Zino Groen, Msc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Developmental and Therapeutic Biology track)
January 2020 - August 2021
Research project: Visualizing endogenous Wnt signaling in intestinal organoids
Zino's research internship (under the supervision of Yorick) was brutally interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the lab was closed, he wrote his literature thesis on lineage tracing in the mammary gland under the supervision of Renee.
Rianne Schoon, Msc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Cell Biology and Advanced Microscopy track)
December 2018 - August 2019
Research project: Determining the molecular composition and stability of the beta-catenin destruction complex
Rianne went on to do her second MSc internship at Sanquin.
Check Rianne's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Isabel Mora Martinez, Msc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Oncology track)
January 2018 - August 2018
Research project: Dissecting the molecular response to elevated level of Wnt signaling in the mammary gland
Isabel went on to do her second MSc internship at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
Check Isabel's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Katja Klooster, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Oncology track)
January 2018 - July 2018
Research project: Regulation of Wnt expression in the mammary gland
Katja went on to do the major "Science and Society".
Check Katja's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Sanne Lith, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Cell Biology and Advanced Microscopy track)
January 2018 - August 2018
Research project: Functional imaging of Wnt signal transduction
Sanne went on to do her second MSc internship at the Max Planck Institute for Biomedicine in Muenster, Germany.
Check Sanne's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Lieve Oudejans, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Oncology track)
December 2016 - September 2017
Research project: Dissecting the molecular response to elevated level of Wnt signaling in the mammary gland
Lieve went on to do her second MSc internship in Oxford, UK.
Check Lieve's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Cátia Rodrigues Pereira, MSc internship (Erasmus Exchange program, Master Program in Biotechnology at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon)
February 2017 - June 2016
Research project: Epigenetic manipulation of Wnt ligand expression
Lotte Hofstee, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Cell biology and Advanced Microscopy track)
December 2015 - July 2016
Research project: Quantifying endogenous Wnt signaling in real time
Lotte went on to do her second internship at Sanquin, Amsterdam.
Check Lotte's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Jelte Hermans, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Oncology track)
January 2016 - July 2016
Research project: Dissecting the molecular response to changes in Wnt signaling in the mammary gland
Jelte went on to do the Tesla minor at the University of Amsterdam.
Francesca Catto, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Cell biology and Advanced Microscopy track)
December 2015 - July 2016
Research project: Generating a novel genetic tool to control reversible Wnt-pathway activation in vitro and in vivo
Francesca went on to do her second internship at the PRBB (IMIM) in Barcelona, Spain.
Check Francesca's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Saskia de Man, MSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, Cell biology and Advanced Microscopy track)
December 2014 - September 2015
Research project: Combining CRISPR/Cas9 technology and advanced microscopy for functional imaging of Wnt-signaling activity
Saskia went on to do her second internship at the Institut de Neurobiologie Alfred Fessard in Paris, France.
Check Saskia's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Bastiaan van den Berg, MSc internship (Molecular Neurosciences)
December 2014 - August 2015
Research project: Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to develop novel Wnt-pathway reporters
Bastiaan went on to do his second internship at Rockefeller University, New York City, USA.
Check Bastiaan's LinkedIn profile to see where he is now.
Anika Bongaarts, MSc internship (Molecular Neurosciences)
January 2015 - August 2015
Research project: Studying the molecular and morphological responses of the mammary epithelium in a 3D environment
Anika went on to do a PhD at the Amsterdam University hospital (AMC).
Check Anika's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Former BSc students:
Marit Coppens, Bsc internship (Biomedical Sciences)
February 2022 - June 2022
Research project: BMP signaling in the human breast
Marit worked under the supervision of Thijs and went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Utrecht University.
Check Marit's Linked In profile to see where they are now.
Demi Blüm, Bsc internship (Biomedical Sciences)
April 2021 - June 2021
Research project: Building reporters for WNT and BMP signaling
Demi is performing her internship as part of the SILS-wide improvised 'cloning internships' to offer our students some lab experience despite the pandemic, as regular internship positions are hard to come by this year. Under the supervision of Thijs, Demi is using restriction enzyme and gateway based cloning approaches to generate new reporters for WNT and BMP signaling.
Tiba Vinck, Bsc internship (Biomedical Sciences)
April 2021 - June 2021
Research project: Building reporters for WNT and BMP signaling
Tiba is performing her internship as part of the SILS-wide improvised 'cloning internships' to offer our students some lab experience despite the pandemic, as regular internship positions are hard to come by this year. Under the supervision of Thijs, Tiba is using restriction enzyme and gateway based cloning approaches to generate new reporters for WNT and BMP signaling.
Femke Mol, Bsc internship (Biomedical Sciences)
March 2020 - June 2020
Research project: Quantifying endogenous CTNNB1 using advanced microscopy
Femke went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
Delano Sanches, BSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, excellence track)
February 2019 - July 2019
Research project: The effects of matrix stiffness on human breast organoid growth
Delano went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
Check Delano's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Beau Neep, BSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, excellence track)
February 2019 - July 2019
Research project: Functional imaging of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling
Beau went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
Check Beau's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Kyah van Megesen, BSc internship (Biomedical Sciences, excellence track)
February 2019 - July 2019
Research project: Identifying and characterizing putative Wnt enhancer sequences
Kyah went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
Check Kyah's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Marius Messemaker, BSc internship (Biomedical sciences, excellence track)
February 2018 - July 2018
Research project: Regulation of Wnt expression in the mammary gland
Marius went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Utrecht University.
Roan van Scheppingen, BSc internship (Biomedical sciences, excellence track)
February 2018 - July 2018
Research project: Regulation of Wnt expression in the mammary gland
Roan went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Utrecht University.
Check Roan's LinkedIn profile to see where he is now.
Jasmijn Span, BSc internship (Biomedical sciences)
September 2017 - February 2018
Research project: Functional imaging of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling
Jasmijn went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
Nicolaas Boon, BSc internship (Biomedical sciences, honors program)
February 2017 - August 2016
Research project: Identification of novel cis-acting enhancer sequences
Nicolaas went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
Britt van der Swaan, BSc internship (Biomedical sciences)
February 2017 - July 2016
Research project: Building better and brighter lineage tracing models
Britt went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
Check Britt's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Tanne van der Wal, BSc internship (Biomedical sciences, honors program) and guest researcher
December 2015 - January 2016 (part-time volunteer), February 2016 - July 2016 (full time) and February 2017 - July 2017 (guest researcher)
Research project: Functional characterization of the novel transmembrane protein Tmem98
Tanne initially went on to study abroad for an extracurricular semester at the University of Toronto. After leaving the lab in July 2017, she went on to obtain an MSc in Biomedical Sciences
Check Tanne's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Vivienne Woo, BSc internship (Biomedical sciences, honors program)
November 2014 - January 2015 (part-time volunteer) and February 2015 - August 2015 (full time)
Research project: Developing a novel tool to modulate Wnt-signaling levels
Vivienne went on to do her PhD thesis research at the University of Cincinnati (USA).
Check Vivienne's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Tessa Hemrika, BSc internship (Biomedical sciences)
April 2014 - July 2014
Research project: Developing novel tools to manipulate Wnt-signal transduction
Tessa went on to obtain a MSc in Biochemistry and Metabolic Diseases at the University of Amsterdam.
Check Tessa's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.
Former HLO students:
Anna Jonkers, HLO internship (Life Sciences, Hogeschool Leiden)
September 2021 - July 2022
Research project: Creating a gateway plasmid system to research Wnt and BMP signaling pathways in the human mammary gland
Check Anna's LinkedIn profile to see where she is now.