“He has been invaluable to my group for five years,” group leader Leila Akkari says. She is very impressed with Daan Kloosterman, who has been working as a PhD student in her group for the past few years. “He is smart, innovative, enthusiastic and collaborative.”
Last year, Daan and his colleagues discovered that macrophages - a type of white blood cell - play an important role in the growth of glioblastoma. This is the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Normally, those macrophages help clear harmful debris in the body. Now it turns out that sometimes they can help the cancer.
Daan has the full package a scientist needs to be highly successful, according to Leila. “Not only does he do his research brilliantly, it is a pleasure to work with him. He is always available to colleagues to think along with them and help where needed. Excellence should not be measured solely by track record,” she emphasizes. “Kindness, empathy, and a collaborative spirit should also weigh into this. Daan meets all of these requirements and will certainly continue to impress me in the coming years.”