"During my Bachelor's studies, I discovered how much I loved learning about the human body. The way our immune system is designed, for example, is so intricate! In immunotherapy, we teach immune cells to recognize and eliminate tumor cells. Some patients with metastatic breast cancer respond well to this treatment, while others do not. I wanted to find out why. The research group of Karin de Visser, my promotor, collaborated with physician Marleen Kok’s team, which was exceptional because it allowed us to directly compare our lab results with what we observed in the blood of patients. We discovered that a relatively unknown immune cell type known as eosinophil plays a crucial role in the success of immunotherapy. These cells are active in the women who respond well to treatment: they instruct the right immune cells to attack tumor cells. However, this does not happen in all women. Maybe we can address this issue in the near future through medication, but for now we need more research into this topic. I found our collaboration with the clinic particularly motivating. I’m a real team player, in the lab as well as in a rowing boat and as the captain of my hockey team."
Olga will defend her thesis on January 11.