The Veni grant is designed for promising early-career scientists who have recently earned their PhDs. It offers them the opportunity to further develop their research careers independently. With this funding, the four postdoctoral researchers (postdocs) at the Máxima Center can now launch their own innovative research lines over the coming years.
Microproteins in immunity: A new key to immunotherapy
Dr. Ana Pinheiro Lopes, a postdoc in the Van Heesch group, is exploring a relatively unknown class of small proteins called microproteins. These tiny molecules play a crucial role in the function of dendritic cells—the architects of our immune system. By developing new methods to study microproteins in these cells, Pinheiro Lopes hopes to uncover how they can enhance immune responses against childhood cancer. Her work could pave the way for more effective immunotherapies for young patients.
Breaking the immune barrier in aggressive brain tumors
Dr. Dennis Metselaar, a postdoc in the Hulleman group, is focused on diffuse midline glioma (DMG), an incurable and aggressive brain tumor in children. These tumors suppress the immune system, making treatments like CAR-T cell therapy ineffective. Metselaar will investigate how DMG creates this immunosuppressive environment, especially after radiation therapy. His research aims to lay the groundwork for new strategies to reactivate the immune system against these devastating tumors.
Releasing the breaks on myeloid cells for better brain tumor therapies
Dr. Tiago Ferreira Carvalheiro, a postdoc in the Nierkens group, is studying a new way to treat childhood brain cancer by targeting inhibitory receptors—molecules that act like brakes on the immune system. By releasing the brakes on anti-tumoral myeloid cells, Ferreira Carvalheiro aims to trigger a stronger immune response against brain tumors. He hopes his work will pave the way for more effective immunotherapies where T-cell approaches have failed, offering new hope for children with hard-to-treat brain tumors.
CRISPR as a precision cure for childhood cancer
Dr. Maarten Geurts, a postdoc in the Van Boxtel group, is developing a CRISPR-based therapy to correct the single genetic mutation that drives certain aggressive childhood cancers, such as rhabdoid tumors. By repairing this mutation in tumor organoids and mouse models, Geurts will test whether a safe and precise gene therapy is possible for children with cancer.
The Veni grant is part of the NWO Talent Program and provides up to €320,000 per researcher. Lopes and Metselaar received their grants in the domain of Exact and Natural Sciences, while Ferreira Carvalheiro’s and Geurts’ Veni grants were awarded through ZonMw. In this round, a total of 200 early-career researchers received Veni funding.