Story

Mosquitoes and ticks have fascinated me from the start of my Biology studies at Wageningen University. How can such small creatures cause such devastating diseases in humans? Throughout my MSc in Biology, I focused on mosquitoes and the transmission of malaria between non-human primates. Besides the vector, I became also interested in viruses that are transmitted by arthropods. The mechanism behind the transmission of them by arthropods still fascinates me every day.

During my PhD I studied the role of ticks and rodents in the transmission of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Setting-up a vector competence assay for ticks at our BSL3 facility, studying TBEV infection in wild caught rodents and understanding the effect of tick-borne pathogens on tick-behavior was all part of my PhD project.

Currently, I’m doing a postdoc project on the associations of tick-borne disease risks and perceptions in three different countries in Europe. Besides, I will work on a project developing standardized infection methods of mosquitoes and ticks using an automated injection robot.

Outside the lab you can find me on my racing bike or in the boat rowing on the river Rhine.

Collaborators

I collaborate with Hein Sprong from the Dutch National Health Institue (RIVM), Helen Esser, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation group (WUR) and with Institute Pasteur and the Medical University of Vienna.