More than a student job: five alumni about their unique role in groundbreaking vascular research
Studying at a university should reflect what you enjoy and find interesting. But how can students ensure that what they study actually mirrors the challenges they’ll face later on in life? The Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences provides ample opportunities for students to combine their theoretical work with glimpses into their future careers. These opportunities range from Authentic Professionals Tasks and internships to extracurricular activities. One extracurricular activity that stands out is MAPEX, a platform that researches aortic aneurysms and allows students to work alongside researchers and clinicians with the same level of responsibility they’ll have later in life.
Koen Reesink, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, has coordinated MAPEX since 2019 and is still enthusiastic about the personal development he sees in students. “Students in MAPEX add real value and are involved in every step: they conduct application interviews for new students, handle team difficulties, actively contribute to our research and work on publications. This experience even helps shape their study path and future career options.”
Read the full article to find out more about MAPEX and the experiences of students.
No golden rule in aortic ruptures
A suddenly ruptured aorta is every patient’s nightmare, and a complex challenge for doctors. The aorta, the body’s main artery, can stretch and widen at a particular location, forming what’s known as an aneurysm. When this occurs just above the heart, it’s called an ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (aTAA). To minimize the risk of rupture, physicians currently follow a simple rule: operate once the aorta reaches 5 to 5.5 centimetres, or if it grows too quickly.
But that rule isn’t foolproof. Some patients suffer a rupture even when their aorta is smaller, while others remain stable for years despite a much larger dilation. The added difficulty is that aneurysms are often asymptomatic: there are no warning signs. That unpredictability makes treatment both complex and invasive. To better understand the condition, researchers at Maastricht UMC+ established a unique multidisciplinary platform to study the aortic wall in its full context: from its size and structure to cellular behaviour, blood pressure, and flow dynamics. It’s an attempt to capture the complexity of the whole system.
A student experience like no other
That kind of research requires enormous amounts of data and tissue samples – and that’s where the student team plays a crucial role. Since 2019, students have been involved in enrolling patients, collecting tissue during open-heart surgeries, safely transporting samples to the biobank, and capturing images of the aorta. Over time, the team became increasingly independent: students plan their own schedules, train new members, and identify ways to improve the research process.
While PhD candidates carry out the analyses, students help refine the methodology and data collection procedures. It’s an unconventional way of working, one that gives students a level of responsibility rarely seen so early in their careers.
The power of the student team
For Koen Reesink, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and project coordinator of the MAPEX project, involving students was not an optional choice, it was a sheer necessity. ‘The volume and unpredictability of this research were so great that it would never have been possible without the student team. We have now collected material from over two hundred patients. That requires people who are flexible, who can, for example, rush to the OR for a last-minute emergency surgery.’
Precisely for this reason, students in the project were given a lot of responsibility. In short introductory meetings, Reesink always conveyed the same message: be critical, work together, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. ‘Having the freedom to make your own choices is incredibly motivating. Students also saw their role in the bigger picture and felt like full-fledged team members. Additionally, I encouraged them to really take ownership of the project: take initiative, and if you see a great opportunity or an interesting project—go for it!’
For Reesink himself, the project meant rethinking leadership. Not the traditional top-down model, but as a network leader: facilitating, coaching, and guiding according to individuals’ talents. ‘Sometimes it was challenging to let go of control, but it led to wonderful surprises. Students bring their own initiatives, offer a fresh perspective and built a real sense of community in which everyone feels part of something bigger.’
That, he says, gives him confidence in the future. ‘I see a mindset in this generation that is very promising. They are willing to take responsibility, but also to collaborate and be critical. That gives me confidence that they will do things differently.’
The MAPEX project is a collaboration between the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Biochemistry at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM). It is supported by the Public-Private Partnership (PPS) grant from Health-Holland – Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, the Collaborating Health Funds (SGF), and ZonMW. Read more about the research here.
Text: Eline te Velde
Alumni stories
Inez Cortenraad
Age: 27
Education: Bachelor of Medicine, Maastricht University
Project experience: March 2020 – August 2021
Currently: Physician-researcher and PhD candidate in cardiology, Zuyderland Hospital
Inez joined the team in her second year of medical school, working on patient enrolment, tissue processing, and assisting PhD students in their research. Now a physician-researcher, she continues in the same field through her PhD in cardiology.
‘What I found most valuable was how early we got to see so many disciplines working together. You see how researchers, surgeons, and students collaborate, and along the way, you discover what suits you and what doesn’t. The project also influenced my decision to pursue cardiology. I find it such a fascinating field because it is so concrete. You can see exactly how the heart works and what goes wrong. Often, you can make a direct difference for patients, for example after a heart attack. That makes it clear and gives a great sense of fulfilment.’
In addition, I gradually learned where my limits are. Leadership, for example, is not my strongest skill. I found it difficult when things didn’t go according to plan. For instance, when someone cancelled an OR shift last minute. I’ve learned that sometimes you must let things go and accept that not everything is within your control.
‘Thanks to this project, I’ve also gained a realistic understanding of what doing research entails. When you start a PhD without prior experience, you often don’t really know what you’re getting into. Now I have a clearer picture of both the enjoyable and the more challenging aspects of research. I have a better sense of what to expect, which gives me greater confidence as I continue my PhD.’
‘The strength of this project lies in two things: as a student, you get to experience research and the clinic up close; and for the research itself, students add real value. We ask questions that experienced researchers sometimes overlook, which helps bring new insights. That fresh perspective is incredibly valuable.’
‘Research, to me, is about uncovering a new piece of knowledge. The idea that we’re putting together puzzle pieces that may lead to better healthcare is inspiring. This project showed me how crucial collaboration is, and how valuable it is to combine different perspectives: a lesson I will carry with me throughout my career.’
Eline Straathof
Age: 25
Education: Bachelor of Medicine, Maastricht University
Project experience: March 2021 – October 2022
Currently: Final-year Master of Medicine Student, Maastricht University
Eline was part of the student team for a year and a half. She assisted with patient enrolment and the collection of tissue in the operating room, but over time she focused primarily on setting up and maintaining the database. She is now in the final year of her master’s in medicine. The project gave her a valuable insight into the world of cardiothoracic surgery and helped her discover which direction truly suits her.
‘This project was a great learning experience. Observing surgeries in the OR and interacting with patients was truly special. At the same time, I realized that research isn’t really my world. You spend a lot of time behind a computer, while I thrive on patient contact and the fast pace of acute care. That suits me much better than spending years on one specific topic.’
‘I found the patient work interesting, but most of my time went into the database. It was important work but also frustrating at times, especially when we had to migrate everything to a new system and most of the responsibility fell to us students. Interpreting scans to measure aortic diameters could be tricky, and sometimes I felt uncertain. More guidance would have helped me with this.’
‘Still, I learned a lot. One of my biggest lessons was to be more assertive and having the confidence to speak up when I need help. Another key lesson is that surgeons are just people, too. Previously, I felt I couldn’t approach them easily. But because we had so much contact with them during this project, it lowered that barrier for me. As a result, I now find it much easier to approach people during my clinical rotations.’
‘Although I ultimately decided that research is not my path, I am very glad to have contributed to this project. It was an intense period, but I learned a great deal and, most importantly, discovered where my interests lie. For me, the most valuable outcome is that I now have a very clear understanding that I want to work with patients. That insight alone made it worthwhile.’
Gijs Debeij
Age: 30
Education: Bachelor of Health Sciences, Master Physician – Clinical Researcher, Maastricht University
Project experience: October 2019 – January 2023
Currently: GP training program, Maastricht University
Gijs was involved in the project from the very beginning. After completing his Bachelor in Health Sciences, he saw an opportunity to join as a research assistant. His role was positioned between that of the students and the PhD candidates: he supervised students, contributed to building the biobank, and offered creative input on technical solutions. He has since completed the Master Physician-Clinical research, worked for a year as a medical resident in the surgery department at Zuyderland Hospital, and will begin his general practice training this year.
‘I joined when the project was still in its early phase. I was in between studies and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. Then this opportunity came along. COVID hit soon after, which made it even more interesting: we were limited in what we could do and had to get creative. It was challenging, but fun, because with a small group we were really pioneering.’
‘A lot of it was trial and error in that beginning phase. Take the heart videos in the OR: at first, we just held up a camera, which obviously didn’t work. Then we tried a GoPro and eventually built an entire rig to attach to the operating table. The same went for the tissue processing. We kept improving how we cut and stored the samples. It really felt like we were building something together.’
‘What makes this project special is the level of responsibility you are given. I helped organize schedules, trained students, and worked hands-on in the OR. That experience gave me a head start during my clinical rotations. At the same time, I saw how remarkable it was that so many disciplines came together. In a hospital, it is often every person for themselves, but here surgeons, radiologists, physiologists, and biologists truly collaborated. This also taught me the importance of communication: knowing when to speak up and when to listen. I still carry that lesson with me in my work today.’
Anna van Dijk
Age: 23
Education: Master of Biomedical Sciences, Maastricht University
Project experience: June 2023 – present
Currently: Master Physician – Clinical Researcher, Maastricht University
Anna has been part of the student team since 2023. She is responsible for patient inclusion and tissue collection during surgeries. In addition, she coordinates the team’s schedules and mentors new students. For Anna, who started the Master Physician-Clinical Research this year, it is a formative experience that has had a lasting impact on her perspective on collaboration in healthcare.
‘The biggest lesson for me has been the importance of communication. Within the team, we constantly coordinate: who does what, how do we approach this? It sounds simple, but it really teaches you to listen. We are given a lot of responsibility. That can be challenging at times, but it is also incredibly valuable. As a result, I feel genuinely taken seriously as a student.’
‘I will never forget my first experiences in the OR. It was incredibly impressive: the atmosphere, the hierarchy, the unspoken rules. you sense right away that there’s a certain culture. It was overwhelming at first, but I learned so much. At the same time, I could develop practical and technical skills, such as suturing and tissue dissection— things students rarely get to do at this stage.’
‘I have now reached the point where I am also allowed to train new students. This is a personal highlight: seeing them grow into their roles is incredibly rewarding. You are not only responsible for your own work, but you also help others take responsibility for theirs.’
‘It has always been my dream to become a doctor, but through this project I have experienced what that really means. It is not only about medical knowledge, but also about collaboration and accountability. Perhaps what I find most valuable are the meaningful connections and friendships I have built here. This makes the experience so much more than just a part-time job or research project.’
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