Prof. Dr. Fiona Watt

'Exploring cellular and genetic heterogeneity in head and neck cancer’

Fiona Watt obtained her first degree from Cambridge University and her DPhil, in cell biology, from the University of Oxford. She was a postdoc at MIT, where she began studying differentiation and tissue organisation in mammalian epidermis. She established her first research group at the Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology in London and then spent 20 years at the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) London Research Institute, a forerunner of the Francis Crick Institute. She helped to establish the CRUK Cambridge Research Institute and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research, and in 2012 she moved to King's College London to found the Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. From 2018 to 2022 she was on secondment as Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council. In 2022 she moved to Heidelberg where she runs a lab at EMBL and is EMBO Director. That year she also founded Fibrodyne Limited, a start-up company dedicated developing cell therapies for skin scars. Her current research interests include the development of artificial niches to examine the dynamics of epidermal stem cell fate regulation. Amongst her numerous awards and honours, Fiona Watt is a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an EMBO member and an international member of National Academy of Sciences. 

Prof. dr René van der Hulst & Prof. dr. Ron van Golde

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Florien van Amstel

‘Prediction of axillary pathologic response using breast radiologic response on MRI following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer’

I am a final-year PhD candidate at the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Imaging at Maastricht University Medical Center+, supervised by prof. P.J. van Diest, prof. M.L. Smidt, dr. J.M. Simons, and dr. T.J.A. van Nijnatten. My research focuses on improving the treatment of breast cancer patients who receive chemotherapy before surgery, using pathology results and imaging, such as MRI, to predict how the lymph nodes in the axilla (armpit) respond to chemotherapy. The goal: identifying patients who may safely undergo less invasive axillary surgery, or avoid surgery altogether, thereby reducing overtreatment and improving quality of life. I was awarded travel grants (KOFL Travel Grant, EUSOBI Young Researcher Grant 2025, René Vogels Stipendium) to support a research visit to the University of Cambridge, under the supervision of prof. F. Gallagher and dr. F. Kilburn-Toppin, where I externally validated our MRI-based approach for predicting lymph node response in an independent patient cohort with different imaging protocols. 

Alex Jones

‘Translating your research to impact’

Alex Jones is a senior business development professional with over a decade of experience at the intersection of biotechnology, advanced therapeutics, and strategic innovation. He currently serves as Senior Business Developer at Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus, where he helps accelerate early scientific innovations by fostering strategic partnerships, supporting high‑potential spin-off companies, and connecting scientific breakthroughs with industry and investment opportunities.

Alex previously held several business development roles in the biotech industry where he led global partnering, licensing, and strategic initiatives. He holds an MSc in Science and Business Management from Utrecht University and a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Leeds. 

Dr. Francesco Misale

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Dr. Audrey Meulenberg

‘Risk based prevention for melanoma’

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Dr. Peggy Geomini  

‘Empowering Women Through Science: Benign Gynecology Reimagined’

Peggy Geomini, MD PhD, is a gynaecologist at Máxima MC Veldhoven, trained in Medicine at Maastricht University and in Obstetrics & Gynecology within the OORZON consortium. She obtained her PhD in 2008 on the assessment of adnexal masses and has been active in clinical research alongside her clinical work since 2006. She has supervised five PhD projects as co‑promotor and was appointed Associate Professor with ius promovendi at GROW in August 2025. She has secured several ZonMw grants in the areas of heavy menstrual bleeding management and adnexal mass diagnostics, with her most recent project focusing on detecting bleeding disorders in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

Prof. dr. Jeroen Hendriks

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Pauline Theelen (dept. of Pathology) & Remigius van Alebeek (Scientific Information Specialist UB)

'Boosting Efficiency and Quality in Systematic Reviews: The Role of Library Support and ASReview’

Pauline Theelen obtained her Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Maastricht University in 2022. In 2024, she joined the Department of Pathology as a PhD candidate, where her research focuses on prognostic biomarkers in cutaneous melanoma.

As part of her PhD project, Pauline is currently conducting a systematic literature review on this research topic. She uses the AI-based tool ASReview to assist with literature screening and is supported by the Systematic Literature Review team at the University Library throughout the process.

Remy van Alebeek completed a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at Maastricht University in 2023. In January 2024, Remy joined the University Library as a Scientific Information Specialist.

In this role, Remy is responsible for managing collections and providing information literacy education for FHML, MUMC+, and the AV-M. Additionally, Remy is a member of the Systematic Literature Review team, supporting UM and MUMC+ researchers in preparing high-quality reviews in line with professional standards (free of charge).

To date, Remy has assisted over 90 researchers, including 27 affiliated with GROW.