Since 2019 i have a position as internist – clinical pharmacologist in the Dept of Clinical Pharmacy & Toxicology (they hired me although I am not a pharmacist!). My academic position is Professor in Drug Discovery & Development. LUMC and several other institutions in the direct vicinity of the hospital together have the expertise and facilities for the design, development and testing of new innovative drugs. This environment is unique in the Netherlands, and provides an excellent basis for drug discovery and drug development.
My other “love” is the care for patients who have received a kidney transplant. The individualization of the dosages of immunosuppressive drugs in these patients has my strong interest, both in patient care as in research.

Already for 30 years, the measurement of concentrations of immunosuppressive drugs in blood of kidney transplant recipients, and how to optimize the dosage of these drugs to achieve the best efficacy with only few side effects, is a topic i have been interested in. Numerous PhD students have supported me in my research projects, and many of them are now independent and successful scientific researchers. In 2022 i was awarded with the Charles E Pippenger Award by the International Association for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology (IATDMCT), of which I am really proud.

In 2019, after having worked in Rotterdam for 30 years, I was appointed in the field of Translational Drug Discovery & Development in Leiden. There is a need to develop novel pharmaceutical compounds, especially for rare diseases. We envision that combining smart technology and new forms of regulation and cooperation in public private partnerships (PPP’s) will boost the potential for development and accessibility of therapies for rare diseases.