Previous Impact Awards

Category Health: Guus van Dongen, professor of medical imaging and biomarkers at Amsterdam UMC, developed new imaging techniques to visualize the behaviour of medicines in the body at molecular level. “We have no idea what medicines really do in our bodies. It’s like driving into Amsterdam without navigation.” One way is to make drugs slightly radioactive so that they light up on a scan: a radioactive TomTom. This can, for example, be used in cancer treatment.

Toby Kiers, professor of Evolutionary Biology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, researches underground ecosystems. She discovered that fungi under the ground behave according to economic principles. They exchange nutrients with the plant roots with which they enter into symbioses. High biodiversity helps with this, but it is precisely that biodiversity that is under pressure. “Underground ecosystems are in danger of being destroyed. Fungi help limit global warming by helping draw carbon below ground into their networks.”

Dick den Hertog, professor of Operations Research at the University of Amsterdam, shows that mathematical optimization can provide solutions for a wide variety of societal problems. Whether it concerns optimization of the dike heights in the Netherlands, the locations of hospitals in countries such as Timor-Leste and Vietnam or the food chains of the World Food Programme (for which he developed the innovative Optimus model).

Category Society: Halleh Ghorashi (VU) conducts research on refugees and diversity. Her research focuses mainly on the stories of refugees and migrants. “Policy is often based on numbers, but that doesn’t get you close to the world of the people you make policy for.

Category Health: Hergen Spits (UvA and Amsterdam UMC) conducts scientific research into B cells. These are the cells in the human body that make antibodies. To do this, he looks at people who have survived a virus infection or cancer.

Category Environment & Climate: Jeroen Kluck (HvA)conducts research into climate adaptation in cities. “The major challenge for the coming years is the development of a city that is liveable and healthy all year round and that pays attention to biodiversity. Guidelines for climate resilience have been developed based on my research.

Erwin Peterman (VU), professor of Physics and Living Systems, and Gijs Wuite (VU), professor of Physics and Life Processes received the award for commercializing their high-quality optical tweezers and fluorescence microscope for fundamental research, aiding cell research.

Roeland van Geuns (HvA), Professor of Poverty Interventions, received the Award for his research on poverty and debt issues. Van Geuns has managed to make a difference to people who live from day to day.

Jaap Bonjer (Amsterdam UMC), professor of surgery, received the award for the establishment of the Amsterdam Skills Center for Health Sciences (ASC), that aids surgical training.

Erik Scherder (left in photo) (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), professor Clinical Neuropsychology, received an Impact Award for his important contribution in bringing knowledge about the brain to a wider audience.

Marcel van Herk (right in photo) (Netherlands Cancer Institute), professor of Radiotherapy Physics, received an Impact Award for his important contribution to the development of image guided radiation therapy. The accuracy of radiotherapy has improved considerably, saving countless lives or prolonging them.