UMagazine

UMagazine offers an insight into the key developments and achievements in education and research at Maastricht University. The magazine is printed three times a year.

The February edition includes a portrait of Maja Brkan, professor of Digitalisation and EU Law. According to her UM colleagues, she is “almost to AI efficient” in her work. Brkan sees the humour in this praise. After living and working in Maastricht for eight years, she moved to Luxembourg to become a judge at the General Court of the European Union. “A lot of big decisions in my life have been intuitive ones, while my work as a judge is the exact opposite.”

By 2050, more than half a million Dutch people will suffer from dementia. Sebastian Köhler, professor of Neuroepidemiology at Maastricht University, studies how dementia might be prevented and advises the World Health Organization. He talks to us about his efforts and why UM is a global player when it comes to risk prevention.

His research lies at the intersection of sustainability, socioeconomics and politics. Assistant professor Filippo Oncini, from the School of Business and Economics, studies food charities and develops practical instruments to analyse urban poverty and food aid. He recently received an ERC grant to conduct urban ethnographic research in Palermo, Kyoto and Rotterdam.

Fast forward to 2040: if you have ADHD or another psychological disorder, the doctor may no longer prescribe Ritalin or antidepressants, but instead a low dose of magic mushrooms, truffles or LSD. Associate professor Kim Kuypers is studying the use of psychedelics as potential medicines of the future. 

Last year, at least eight people—the highest number since the 1960s—died of whooping cough in the Netherlands. Most of them were babies. Behind this tragic statistic lies a years-long trend: fewer and fewer parents are vaccinating their children against serious infectious diseases, which jeopardises herd immunity. How can we turn the tide? Veja Widdershoven recently obtained her PhD for her research on vaccine willingness. “Why do we doubt something that is so effective?”

As the world seeks cleaner energy solutions, green hydrogen has emerged as a key component in the transition to a sustainable future. What makes implementing this technology so challenging? Fabianna Bacil, a PhD candidate at UNU-MERIT/Maastricht University, collaborated with an international research group investigating green hydrogen in emerging economies.

This time, Soul Kitchen offers a peek into the kitchen of Niloofar Tahmasebi Birgani, born and raised in Iran. And last but not least, we meet alum Sjoerd Maille, who works as a trainee at the Limburg District Court. At just 24 years old, he is also the second youngest member of the Limburg Provincial Council and a citizen councillor in Maastricht. It’s the start of a very promising career, in spite of his disability: Maillé is almost blind.

Read about all this and more in the February issue of UMagazine!