H.G.K. Westenbrink prize

Westenbrink prize 2023-2024: Max Gemmer

The H.G.K. Westenbrink Prize 2023–2024 has been awarded to Dr. Max Gemmer for his thesis entitled ‘Visualizing Protein Biogenesis at the ER Membrane’. The research was performed at Utrecht University, in the group of Prof. Dr. Friedrich Förster within the Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science.
Dr. Gemmer’s thesis is praised by the jury as particularly innovative, profound and technically extremely impressive. By using an advanced combination of cryo-electron tomography, cryo-electron microscopy, single-particle analysis and mass spectrometry, Gemmer was able to map the molecular landscape of the ribosome-associated ER translocon at unprecedented resolution. His analysis of no less than 150,000 ribosomes revealed how different polysomes recruit diverse modules in a structured manner, such as an insertase, chaperones and the oligosaccharyltransferase OST.
With his research, Dr. Gemmer has provided fundamentally new insights into the dynamics of protein biogenesis at the ER membrane, with implications for our understanding of the role of this machinery in stress and disease. The publications resulting from this work in leading journals underline the quality and impact of his contributions. The jury therefore expects that this work will be cited extensively in the coming years. In addition to his scientific excellence, Dr. Gemmer distinguishes himself by his ability to convey complex topics to a wider audience in an accessible way. The prize will be awarded during the NVBMB spring symposium in 2025, where Dr. Gemmer will give a lecture on his groundbreaking research.

Westenbrink prize 2022/2023: Mandy Koopman

The H.G.K. Westenbrink Prize 2022-2023 has been awarded to Mandy Koopman for her thesis entitled ‘From cellular vulnerability to altered circuit activity: a systems biology approach to study amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’. The research was conducted in the group of Ellen Nollen, Division of Molecular Neuroscience and Aging at the University of Groningen. The jury describes the research described in Mandy Koopman's dissertation as very impressive and addressing an original question. The research is of exceptional quality and impresses with its breadth and also depth. The methodology developed and the different approaches taken to find means to address the complex disease ALS are highly innovative. The clear writing style and beautiful graphic design of the thesis make it a feast to read. The research has resulted in ten publications, half of which with Koopman as first author and several in top tier journals. During the doctoral program, Koopman completed a course in physical therapy. Mandy Koopman has also been active in science communication, at, among others, Het Klokhuis and as a speaker at NEMO. 

NVBMB Chair Janine Post handed out the prize to Mandy Koopman in Utrecht. You can see the interview with Mandy on YouTube.

Westenbrink prize 2021/2022: Rebecca Halbach

The H.G.K. Westenbrink Prize 2021 - 2022 has been awarded to Dr. Rebecca Halbach for her thesis entitled "Beyond transposon control: piRNAs in gene regulation and embryonic development". The research was conducted at Radboud University in Nijmegen, in the group of Prof. Dr. ir Ronald van Rij. Dr. Halbach's thesis was evaluated as excellent. The research, within which she herself designed a new line of research, including new methods, is highly original and innovative. The results, which have been published in Nature and frequently cited, among other publications, have resulted in a paradigm shift. In addition, the dissertation is accessibly written and originally designed. The award will be presented to Rebecca Halbach at the NVBMB's Spring Symposium in 2023 in Groningen.

Westenbrink prize 2020/2021: Rik Lindeboom

The H.G.K. Westenbrink prize 2021/2021 has been awarded to Rik Lindeboom for his PhD thesis entitled ‘Investigating gene regulation in development and disease using integrative omics approaches’. The PhD research was conducted in the group of Prof. dr. dr. Michiel Vermeulen at Radboud University Nijmegen.

Rik Lindeboom's thesis describes fundamental research into gene regulation in embryonic development, stem cell differentiation and cancer.  Rik Lindeboom has used a multi-omics strategy and big data 'omics' analyses, resulting in an original combination of excellent computational and innovative experimental research. By integrating multi-omics datasets of multiple model systems and diseases, his work gave many new insights into the global understanding of how gene regulation is orchestrated at a system-wide level. Rik Lindenboom completed his PhD with honors and currently works as a PostDoc at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK. The prize will be awarded during the NVBMB spring symposium in 2022.

Westenbrink prize 2019/2020: João Medeiros Silva

The H.G.K. Westenbrink prize 2019-2020 has been awarded to Dr. João Medeiros Silva for his thesis entitled “Towards the physiologically relevant state with high-resolution solid-state NMR”. The research was conducted at the University of Utrecht under the supervision of Dr. Markus Weingarth.

Medeiros Silva developed an innovative method by integrating state-of-the-art solid-state NMR with 1H detection and high field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). This makes it possible to accurately determine the structure of complex transmembrane domains under physiological conditions. The research, for which bacterial membranes were used, also provides insight into how the local cellular environment affects the binding of antibiotics. This method elucidated the mechanism of action of teixobactin, one of the most promising new antibiotics. “This very original research has resulted in a thesis of exceptionally high quality,” said the jury. The prize will be awarded during the NVBMB spring symposium on March 31, 2021.