Welkom bij het team

We verwelkomen onze nieuwe stagiaires Aikaterini (Katerina) Fetsiou, Lucie kloss, Willemijne van Zuijlen en Marleny Yalaju (v.l.n.r.). De komende periode zullen zij ons team versterken en in dit bericht stellen wij hen graag aan jullie voor:

Katerina is originally from Greece. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, which included an exchange semester in Biomedical Sciences at Utrecht University, she moved to Germany to pursue a Master’s degree in Molecular Biosciences (majoring in Neuroscience) at Heidelberg University. Katerina has explored diverse scientific environments, ranging from molecular and genetics-focused laboratory research and animal experimentation to industry experience. During her MSc thesis, she will investigate how lifetime environmental exposures and lifestyle factors may contribute to Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) risk and how these influences are reflected in DNA methylation patterns, aiming to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms driving the disease. Beyond her research, she enjoys spending time with friends, doing sports, visiting museums, and expressing her creative side through art and DJing.

Lucie obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in Brain and Cognition at Erasmus University Rotterdam and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Neuropsychology at VU Amsterdam. She joined the 100-plus study as a research intern for her Master’s thesis, where she investigates the relationship between lipofuscin accumulation and neuropathological markers in centenarian brains. Through this work, she aims to gain deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying both healthy and pathological aging at the extreme end of the human lifespan, with the hope to eventually help reduce the burden that neurodegenerative diseases pose on our society.

Following her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Groningen, Willemijne pursued a Master’s in Molecular Neuroscience at the University of Amsterdam. She is currently doing an internship at the Alzheimer Center, where she focuses on identifying rare genetic variants involved in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease using trio whole-genome sequencing. She is particularly interested in understanding how genetic variation translates into disease mechanisms and how family-based sequencing approaches can help unravel complex neurodegenerative disorders. Outside of work, Willemijne likes to play field hockey and she enjoys having dinner with friends.

After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology at the University of Amsterdam, Marleny started the Bioinformatics & Systems Biology programme at the VU/UvA (joint degree) in 2024. She is currently doing an internship at the Alzheimer Center and contributes to the 100-plus Study by validating CNV data. She really appreciates that the 100-plus Study focuses on what goes well in people’s health and places strong emphasis on prevention. Outside of work, Marleny plays volleyball in the VU team, enjoys bouldering, and likes visiting nice cafés and restaurants with friends.