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King's shower of birthday honours falls upon three UM researchers

During the annual shower of honours around King’s Day, three current or former employees of Maastricht University were awarded a Royal honour. Two of them were named Officers in the Order of Orange-Nassau: Professor Leopold Curfs and Professor Emeritus Henny van Schrojenstein Lantman–de Valk. Petra Schuffelen was named a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Leopold Curfs, professor of Intellectual Disabilities and director of the Gouverneur Kremers Centrum, received his award from the mayor of Maastricht, Annemarie Penn-te Strake. He is committed to improving the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities and their parents. He does this by conducting scientific research into the causes of disabilities and the best modes of treatment and counselling, and providing information about his findings. Under his leadership and initiative, the Rett Centre of Expertise was opened at Maastricht UMC+ in 2011.

Henny van Schrojenstein Lantman–de Valk, who recently retired from UM, received her award from Sjraar Cox, the mayor of Sittard-Geleen. She was the first professor of Medicine for People with Intellectual Disabilities and made exceptional efforts to improve health care for people with intellectual disabilities. She has numerous scientific publications to her name and acted as a PhD supervisor multiple times.

Petra Schuffelen is the driving force behind cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education. She is committed to establishing CPR training in secondary education and seeks support for that mission through CPR relays. At UM, she is carrying out scientific research to substantiate the importance of scientific CPR education. There are now 150 active CPR instructors in Limburg and thousands of people have followed CPR training. Her initiative has already received a nationwide following.

Threes Jamin-Caberg was honoured as a member of the Order of Orange-Nassau, among other things for her services to medical education at UM and her voluntary work for the parish and for the blind. Since 1977, she has been a simulated patient for medical training at UM. For years she has made it possible for medical students to practice gynaecological examinations, for which she also learned English.

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