Story
Already during my trips to the Biesbosch at primary school and to Australia after high school, I became intrigued by the fact that nature comes in so many diverse forms. It kept me puzzling ever since. It was therefore no surprise that I started studying Biology at Wageningen University. During lectures on various infectious diseases, I became fascinated by the impact of vector-borne diseases and the complex interactions present in their transmission cycles. With the help of Sander Koenraadt, I was able to capture this fascination into a PhD-project proposal.
In my project, I try to find out what makes some flaviviruses tick-borne and others mosquito-borne. I do so by studying various possible barriers that might be present in the flavivirus transmission cycle involving these two interesting vector species. In other words, in my research project, I get to study the many diverse and interesting aspects related to vector-borne diseases!
Outside my PhD, I enjoy taking hikes (after which I always check for ticks!), reading and cooking.
Carlijn Balvers, MSc