Assistant professors

Jimmy Berbée, PhD (assistant professor 2020-04†)

Milena Schönke (assistant professor until 2025-09)

Postdocs

Marcelo Ribeiro (postdoc contract until 2021-02)

Marina Barros (postdoc contract until 2022-01)

Leonard Pelgrom (postdoc contract until 2023-07)

Mariëtte Boon (postdoc contract until 2024-12)

Robin van Eenige (postdoc contract until 2025-12)

PhD students

Caroline van der Hoogt (PhD defense 2006-11):

• The role of apoCI, LPL and CETP in plasma lipoprotein metabolism

Jimmy Berbée (PhD defense 2007-05):

• The role of apolipoprotein CI in lipid metabolism and bacterial sepsis

Marit Westerterp (PhD defense 2007-06):

• Hyperlipidemia, Inflammation, and Atherosclerosis

Willeke de Haan (PhD defense 2009-04):

• Modulation of HDL metabolism: studies in APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice

Jitske De Vries-Van der Weij (PhD defense 2010-02):

• CETP and inflammation in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis

Silvia Bijland (PhD defense 2010-12):

• Modulation of VLDL triglyceride metabolism

Janna van Diepen (PhD defense 2012-03):

• The role of inflammation in lipid metabolism

Claudia Coomans (PhD defense 2012-06):

• Insulin sensitivity: modulation by the brain

Hanna Auvinen (PhD defense 2013-05):

• Glucocorticoids, metabolic adaptations and recovery

Janine Geerling (PhD defense 2013-10):

• Central nervous system control of triglyceride metabolism

Yanan Wang (PhD defense 2013-11):

• Novel modulators of lipoprotein metabolism (cum laude)

Mariëtte Boon (PhD defense 2014-06):

• Turning up the heat: role of brown adipose tissue in metabolic disease (cum laude)

Nathanja Tjeerdema (PhD defense 2015-10):

• End organ damage in the metabolic syndrome

Sander Kooijman (PhD defense 2015-11):

• Neural control of lipid metabolism and inflammation (cum laude)

Sam van der Tuin (PhD defense 2017-02):

• Novel mechanistic insight in CETP production and pharmacological inhibition

Padmini Khedoe (PhD defense 2017-03):

• Mouse models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and CVD, 2017-03

Rosa van den Berg (PhD defense 2017-10):

• Greased lighting: implications of circadian lipid metabolism for cardiometabolic health

Andrea van Dam (PhD defense 2017-10):

• Inflamed fat: immune modulation of adipose tissue and lipid metabolism)

Geerte Hoeke (PhD defense 2018-05):

• A fatty battle: towards identification of novel genetic targets to comBAT cardiometabolic diseases

Kimberly Nahon (PhD defense 2018-11):

• Combatting metabolic disease. Ethnic aspects, mechanisms and novel treatment strategies

Eline Kuipers (PhD defense 2019-09):

• Dietary modulation of adipose tissue and cardiometabolic health

Maaike Schilperoort (PhD defense 2020-09):

• It’s about time: circadian rhythm and metabolism

Laura Janssen (PhD defense 2021-01):

• Cardiometabolic disease in South Asians: risk factors and therapeutic strategies

Lisanne Blauw (PhD defense 2018-09; postdoc until 2021-02):

• Genetic determinants of cholesterol and energy metabolism: implications for cardiometabolic health

Enchen Zhou (PhD defense 2021-04):

• Novel pathways in cholesterol metabolism to combat cardiometabolic diseases

Zhuang Li (PhD defense 2021-04):

• From gut to brain: novel therapeutic strategies to combat obesity-associated cardiometabolic diseases

Maaike Straat (PhD defense 2023-03):

• Modulating energy metabolism. Pathophysiological aspects and novel interventions

Wietse In het Panhuis (PhD defense 2023-04):

• Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Interplay between sex, age, and circadian rhythm

Cong Liu (PhD defense 2023-05):

• Targeting inter-organ cross-talk in cardiometabolic disease

Huub van Eyk (PhD defense 2023-06):

• GLP-1 receptor agonism to improve cardiometabolic health

Aashley Sardjoe Mishre (PhD defense 2023-09):

• Non-invasive assessment of human BAT: development of robust imaging methods to facilitate clinical translation

Zhixiong Ying (PhD defense 2023-12):

• Novel strategies to investigate lipoprotein metabolism and combat cardiometabolic disease

Carlijn Hoekx (PhD defense 2025-06):

• Metabolic hormones and ethnic aspects in obesity

Artemiy Kovynev (PhD defense 2025-11):

• Role of gut-liver axis in circadian exercise and dietary interventions to improve liver health

Melanie Modder (PhD defense 2026-01):

• Precision and efficacy guided novel approaches to target dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis

Xiaoke Ge (PhD defense 2026-01):

• Novel targets in the liver to treat cardiometabolic diseases

Mohan Li (PhD defense 2026-03):

• Novel strategies targeting lipid metabolism to combat sepsis

Research technicians

Hetty Sips (research technician; 2024-06†)