"Sometimes your body behaves like a teenager – it responds completely differently to medication than you’d hoped. We want to understand that behavior better and mobilize it to optimize the dose of a cancer drug. One of the things I investigated was the effect of an antibiotic on palbociclib, a known breast cancer drug. It’s so amazing to me that patients want to participate. They gladly sign up for an additional journey to the hospital, or even to stay overnight. Not for themselves, but for future patients. I drew blood myself, that made it even more real! I still see myself walking around with those frozen blood samples, in a container of dry ice. When I returned from the lab, I couldn’t find my wedding ring. Half the institute helped me look for it. I found it the next day: in one of the gloves that I had been wearing. I now work at the Haaglanden MC pharmacy in The Hague. It’s great to be able to help patients every day. But I do miss scientific research."
Laura will defend her thesis on March 22.
Promotors
Prof. dr. A.D.R. Huitema & prof. dr. J.H. Beijnen