Today, during the celebrations to mark the anniversary of the University of Twente’s foundation day (known as Dies Natalis), the Professor De Winter Award was presented to Dr Jeannette Hofmeijer.
This publication award for especially talented women academics is an acknowledgement of outstanding academic research and intended to boost the recipient’s academic career. The award is being presented for the tenth time this year.
Hofmeijer is receiving the award for her article Early EEG contributes to multimodal outcome prediction of postanoxic coma published in the leading scientific journal Neurology. In her research, she shows that using EEG monitoring can radically improve predictions of the outcome of a coma caused by a lack of oxygen in the brain. Using current methods, it is only possible to make a correct estimate quickly and reliably in 10% of patients. If a new method is used – involving continuous EEG monitoring and observing the speed of recovery in brain activity – it is possible in around 50% of cases. Hofmeijer’s study therefore demonstrated that recovery over time is a better indicator of the seriousness of brain damage than one brief measurement at a single time, which is currently standard practice.
The connecting link
The Professor De Winter Award judging panel described it as an outstandingly written article, published in a leading journal. The panel also pointed out that Hofmeijer, who combines her work as a neurologist at Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem with research at the University of Twente, is an ideal connecting link between medical practice and the academic world. “Not only does her research translate fundamental research into medical practice, it also takes a practical problem from clinical practice as its point of departure. This matches perfectly with the mission of the UT’s MIRA research institute, which sees outstanding research and technology as important catalysts for improving healthcare.”
Jeannette Hofmeijer
After studying Medicine and Philosophy, Hofmeijer specialized as a neurologist and intensive care doctor. She was awarded her doctorate at Utrecht University in 2007. Since 2008, she has worked at Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem and in the Clinical Neurophysiology department at the University of Twente. Hofmeijer has published more than 75 academic articles.
Professor De Winter Award
The Professor De Winter Award, named in honour of the professor who died in 2005, is an international publication award for leading women academics. It is an acknowledgement of outstanding academic research and intended to boost the recipient’s academic career. The award, which consists of €2,500 in cash and a certificate, is funded by the Professor De Winter Award fund, a named fund set up in the Twente University Fund. It was partly made possible by a donation from the professor’s widow, who herself died in 2013. After her death, UT alumnus Henk Hoving and his partner Thijs van Reijn decided to continue the annual donation to the University Fund. The award is being presented for the tenth time this year.
Professor De Winter Scholarship
In addition to the Professor De Winter Award, the Professor De Winter Fund also finances the Professor De Winter Scholarship every year. It is intended for outstanding women students from abroad who study on a Master’s degree programme at the University of Twente. The scholarship, worth € 7,500 per year over a two-year period, was this year awarded to Karen Abeniacar from Italy. She completed her Bachelor’s degree programme in Industrial Engineering at the Turkish Sabancı University. This academic year, she began the Master’s programme in Industrial Engineering and Management at Twente.
