Last week, Dr. de Bakker had the privilege of presenting groundbreaking research to Pia Dijkstra, the Minister of Health.

Invited by Gynecologist Prof. Judith Huirne, Dr. de Bakker demonstrated to the Minister and her team from VWS the significant benefits of Micro-CT and Synchrotron imaging for female-specific diseases. These high-resolution imaging techniques allow for the scanning of explanted uteruses with a resolution of up to 2 micrometers (for comparison, an average hair is 70 micrometers thick). These scans help to better understand female-specific conditions and improve the interpretation of clinical patient scans like ultrasound and CT.

As a non-practicing physician, Dr. de Bakker is proud to contribute to better treatments for this large group of patients through scientific research, with the help of her dedicated team. This visit aims to raise awareness and prioritize female-specific conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, and niche pregnancies on the political agenda.

Dr. de Bakker, one of the 8 Principal Investigators of the Human Organ Atlas hub (HOAHub), calls upon all clinicians with relevant clinical research questions to get in touch to secure beam time at the ESRF – The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France.

Special thanks to the Amsterdam UMC HOAHub scanning team: Yousif Dawood, Jermo Hanemaaijer-van der Veer, Daniël Docter, Nick Lobe, Jaco Hagoort.