With a grant of €200,000 each, three UMCG researchers can now start their own first line of research. The three researchers receive the so-called Clinical Fellows grant from ZonMW, which aims to continue encouraging doctors to conduct research early in their careers.
The Clinical Fellowship is a personal grant for a specialist clinician who has recently obtained his doctorate and who, in addition to his work as a therapist, also wants to continue doing research. Peter van Dijk (Internal Medicine), Jelmer Prins (Obstetrics and Gynecology) and Janesh Pillay (Intensive Care) will use their research project to create a bridge between clinic and scientific research.
Prins focuses on the role of the immune system in premature birth and the associated complications. With this knowledge, Prins hopes therapies will be developed that prevent problems in premature babies.
Van Dijk’s research focuses on lowering the blood sugar level of diabetic patients during hospitalization. These patients have more complications and are therefore longer in the hospital than other patients. The risk of death is also higher for these patients.
Pillay’s research focuses on early detection of scarring in the lung in patients who are on a ventilator, for example with pneumonia. By quickly detecting whether there are scars in the lungs, Pillay hopes he can make better decisions about the course and chances of recovery in acute lung failure.
