TM student Vaassen graduates with a perfect 10
It only becomes a reality for a precious few: graduating with a perfect score. Yet this is precisely what 24-year-old Technical Medicine (TM) student Harry Vaassen did. He received the highest possible score for his graduation research at Medisch Spectrum Twente (MST). The topic of his research was a new technology for analysing blood flow in the intestines. Together with the working group he founded, Vaassen developed software that allows a surgeon to objectively measure how good the blood flow is. ‘With this technique, the surgeon can make highly informed decisions about which piece of the intestine to leave in place and which one should be removed,’ explains the graduate
Vaassen is only the seventh student in the history of the Technical Medicine education programme to receive a perfect ten. In the coming years, he wants to continue his research as a PhD student. Vaassen hopes to be able to apply the technique to other organs as well. The surgeons in the working group have already guaranteed the funding of his follow-up research for the coming six months.
Vici Grant for Kerensa Broersen
Kerensa Broersen is associate professor at the Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies at the Faculty of TNW and the TechMed Centre. In February, she received a Vici grant of 1.5 million euros. The grant will allow her to investigate how gut bacteria communicate with the brain, and what happens in diseases such as Parkinson's, brain stem tumors, and depression. The Vici grant is the largest personal scientific grant in the Netherlands and is intended for highly experienced researchers. The much-coveted grant enables researchers to develop a new line of research and build their own research group over a period of five years.
Fruitful collaboration
Early 2022, the University of Twente and Roessingh Research & Development (RRD) evaluated the already long lasting collaboration. They decided to extend the collaboration agreement and expressed the wish to embed the fruitful collaboration in a more structural way in order to maximize the impact on society of both institutions.
The collaboration with RRD, founded approximately 30 years ago, focuses on education, research and innovation. Currently, three research chairs and multiple (associate) professors are the core of the collaboration with a focus on rehabilitation, robotics and eHealth technology. The UT and RRD are sharing infrastructure, linking their networks, providing academic Bachelor and Master courses and executing multiple externally funded research and innovation projects. Currently, approximately 25 PhD students are involved.
RRD is closely connected to the Roessingh Centre of Rehabilitation, which provides unique opportunities to connect research with daily clinical practice. The collaboration with a partner in close proximity of the UT, linking the actual challenges from the daily (clinical) practice to education and the fundamental and applied scientific efforts, provides an excellent environment for truly impactful education, research & innovation.
Women’s Health launches its own website
The UT research programme Women's Health (WH) has recently launched its own website. The platform was launched on International Women's Day 2022 and offers an overview of all UT researchers working in the area of women's health and well-being. It also features short videos in which the participating researchers explain their work. Within the Women's Health programme, a multidisciplinary group of researchers collaborate to solve issues related to health and well-being of women throughout their lives.
Important step for hydrogel technique to repair cartilage
The UT has developed a hydrogel that can be used to repair damaged cartilage. The gel is soon to be tested in humans for the first time. Currently being further developed by spin-off Hy2Care, the gel can be used to repair cartilage damage—caused, for example, by a sports injury—in order to prevent osteoarthritis. The hydrogel technique was developed by UT Professor Marcel Karperien and his colleagues at the TechMed Centre, supported by ReumaNederland. The first clinical trial is being conducted at UMC Utrecht. The following video illustrates the working of the hydrogel:
Academic collaboration between UT and Radboudumc
Towards the end of 2021, the UT group Biomaterials Science & Technology (BST) of the Faculty of Science and Technology and the TechMed Centre signed a formal academic collaboration agreement with the departments of Nephrology and Physiology of the Radboudumc in Nijmegen. In recent years, the research teams from the UT and Radboudumc have successfully collaborated on several projects. This new academic agreement should further strengthen the strategic collaboration between the teams from Twente and Nijmegen. As part of this agreement, a mutual exchange of professors will take place during the next five years.
MedTech Twente Week
Together we empower our future healthcare with medical technology | 1-5 November 2022
Medical technology is progressing faster than ever. It is the best solution to make future healthcare accessible, affordable and - quite simply - better. We believe that curiosity, collaboration and innovation help to create, discover and set out advances to improve the patient's journey. The MedTech Twente Week, from 1 to 5 November 2022 in Twente brings together clinical professionals, business relations, researchers, investors, talented students and citizens. A five-day summit full of inspiring events organised by the MedTech Twente. MedTech Twente is the innovation hub, consisting of business, healthcare and knowledge institutions, where medical technological innovations are accelerated. On the 3rd of November the TechMmed Centre will organise The TechMed Event, a day all about the latest technical medical developments and innovations. And most of all, it’s about creating impact together. While the focus on 2 November is on the supply chain of medical devices: meet and match with business partners and find investment opportunities.
