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Mathilde Kennis (FPN) named one of the NWO Research Talents of 2018

Research Talent is an NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) funding scheme for young and talented upcoming researchers that have demonstrated ambition to pursue a career in science.

“This is a great compliment, of course! I’ve been working hard for several years to build my skills as a researcher. But I realise luck plays a part, and that I wouldn’t have made it without the support of my supervisors and the UM”

In her work Mathilde poses three major questions:

  1. Are their differences in the brains of transgenders and cisgenders (people whose sex matches their gender identity)?
  2. What happens to the brain of transgenders during hormone therapy and after their sex reassignment surgery?
  3. What is the state of the sexual well-being of transgenders during their transition?

In order to find the answers, she is gathering fMRI scans, but also by analysing data from experiments and journal-studies. She will be following a group of transgender individuals throughout the whole process of their transition. Her aim is that this research can contribute to the fine-tuning of current therapies.

The NWO funding allows Mathilde her to start her research career with the topic she finds most interesting “at the university where I feel most at home. Starting out with as a Research Talent opens doors in a very competitive world.”

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