I am Director of the Bachelor’s programme in Biomedical Sciences and Professor of Higher Education at UMC Utrecht and Utrecht University. My work focuses on educational innovation, educational research and curriculum development within biomedical sciences and higher education. A central theme throughout my work is connecting science and society through education, research, and inclusive academic practice.

My academic background is in Cell Biology. I completed my MSc at Radboud University and obtained my PhD at Radboudumc, where my early research focused on the complexity of cellular processes and their relevance to biomedical science. Alongside my research activities, I became increasingly involved in teaching and educational coordination, which led to a broader interest in biomedical and medical education.

Throughout my career, I have combined expertise in Cell Biology with educational innovation, educational research, and inclusive teaching practices. I am particularly interested in how higher education can foster inclusive learning environments, and socially responsive approaches to science and biomedical practice. Currently, we are working on a major redesign of the Biomedical sciences curriculum, in which we aim to strengthen context-rich education and further connect biomedical sciences with societal challenges and perspectives. 

I have been involved as Senior Fellow, and currently as Principal Fellow at Utrecht University, where I lead several initiatives focused on educational innovation and research across the university. One of the larger cross-disciplinary projects I co-lead is the Comenius Leadership project, ‘Open minds and open attitude in higher education’, together with Leoniek Wijngaards-de Meij. The project focuses on fostering openness, dialogue, and socially engaged learning within Higher Education.