Thanks to the Marina van Damme scholarship, I started the Master in Movement Sciences at the VU Amsterdam in 2005. I had already studied Industrial Design at TU Delft, and had been working as an MRI researcher at Erasmus MC for some time. After graduation, I started a PhD research project. The research goal was to develop a new method for diagnosing low back pain. Since a major cause of back pain lies in the mechanical failure of the structures in the back, the research focused on measuring stiffness of the intervertebral disc by means of vibration transmission. It was my dream job: a combination of engineering and medicine!
After my PhD, I started working at LUMC as a Medical Technology Advisor. This means that I advise healthcare providers and assist in the acquisition and implementation of new technology in specialist medical care. Together we perform risk analyses on newly designed care processes, I provide training and I keep an eye on laws and regulations. A particularly fun part of my job is designing and making medical devices that are not for sale, but which our doctors and nurses need.
Finally, I sit on the Medical Ethics Review Committee where I evaluate the safety and efficacy of medical devices that are tested in scientific research, I lecture to students at Delft University of Technology, and I am on the board of the Association of Biomedical Technologists in Healthcare, the professional association for engineers with jobs similar to mine. Combining engineering and medicine, the best challenge I can imagine!