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AI will change the world – possibly in a very direct way. UNU-MERIT's Michal Natorski thinks the technology could inadvertently influence the decision-making processes of UN agencies.

David Baião Barata was born and raised in Castelo Branco, in eastern Portugal. His mother cooked typical Portuguese cuisine: hearty soups, lots of meat, everything doused in olive oil. It was only during his studies in cell and molecular biology in Lisbon that he began cooking for himself. And it...

On February 8, 2024, Ziemons received her PhD from Maastricht University for the dissertation “The role of the gut microbiota in human cancer, the power of an equilibrium". This dissertation is the result of Ziemons' research on the role of the microbiota in cancer – colorectal cancer but also...

Failure is part of life, but not something academics talk about often. In this interview, Tullio Viola reflects on the difficulties he has with being understood by those that are different.

Jan-Willem van Prooijen’s new book Hoax explores why conspiracy theories proliferate and how they undermine democracy and societal cohesion.

Does she ever indulge in pizza? “Absolutely! And crisps, too”, laughs Anne Roefs, professor of Psychology and Neuroscience of Abnormal Eating and head of the Eat Lab research group at Maastricht University. Equally, Leo Pimpini, a native of Venice who completed his PhD under Roefs’s supervision, is...

Drawing blood, inserting an IV, or examining the ear; even seemingly simple medical procedures can cause anxiety, pain, and stress in children. According to pediatric intensivist Piet Leroy, comfort and trust are just as important as the medical treatment itself. He is therefore researching how...

UNU-MERIT’s Maria Tomai works on ECOffee, an EU-funded project to create awareness, networks and trainings around coffee consumption.

Picture an audience of some 4,000 people, all staring at a big screen presenting the nominees. The suspense builds. “And the award goes to ... ” The annual iGEM competition in Paris could just as well be called the Oscars of Synthetic Biology. Last November, the UM student team SublimeStone came...

Last November, Rory Koenen delivered his inaugural lecture following his appointment as a professor in 2023 at the research institute CARIM. The chair he holds is "Biochemistry of Vascular Inflammation and Thrombosis," and Rory's research can be best described as the quest to understand the role of...