| Maastricht University

The role of service work for success in Dutch academia

Service work or organizational citizenship behaviours are defined as volunteering and helping behaviours that are quantitatively or qualitatively not part of ones’ formal work contract. Without academics taking up service tasks (e.g., grading the extra paper, volunteering to go to a certain meeting, writing a needed document), nearly all aspects of academic life would be severely compromised. Thus, the good will of academic staff members to take over extra tasks is essential, but typically not formally recognised through tangible incentives.

Service work and the Recognition and Rewards initiative at UM

We are now launching a survey for all UM academic staff – from Teaching Assistants to Full Professors – who are currently working at Maastricht University in a teaching or research position.

Contributing to the Recognition and Rewards initiative launched by our Rector Rianne Letschert and funded by a Diversity and Inclusivity grant, our project focuses on the question of who, why, and under which circumstances academics at UM engage in citizenship behaviours and how this affects their well-being, personal development and academic success.

Thus, our project is an important strategic, social, and political step in helping UM to live up to the standards and values it has set itself as an inclusive and fair organisation.

Luana Russo, Annika Nubold, Danai Petropoulou Ionescu

How can you contribute?

Fill in our survey, which you can find by following the green button. The project will include a quantitative survey part as well as qualitative interviews. You can register for all or only parts of the study. With your participation, you directly contribute to advice for UM management and policy, for example more structural acknowledgement of service behaviours in career-based decisions! Furthermore, you get the chance to win one of nine €50-vouchers!

If you have questions about the content of the project or want to know more about the research please reach out to Dr Luana Russo or Dr Annika Nübold.

Luana Russo (PI) is an Assistant Professor in Quantitative Methods at FASoS, and a board member of FEM). Annika Nubold (PI) is an Assistant Professor for Work and Social Psychology at FPN, and a leadership expert (including female leadership) specialized in personality development. Danai Petropoulou Ionescu (assistant) is a Research Master student in the Field of European Studies, specialising in qualitative research methods.

Previous activities

In the first phase of our research, we held focus groups to discuss with the UM community about the topic of service work in the workplace, and how it may or may not impact their success in academia.

Approval ethical commission

Our study has been approved by the ethical commission of the Faculty for Psychology and Neuroscience of Maastricht University (ERCPN-231_154_12_2020). Data collection is entirely confidential, and data analysis and reporting will be fully anonymous. All data will only be used for this project, and you are free to withdraw from this study at any time, without any negative consequences, and without providing any reasons.

'Helper' or 'Doer'?

Fill in our survey!

Available programs

It is a legal requirement for employers to inform their employees about work-related risks, as well as equip them with necessary means to perform said work safely. This must take place before employees start their work. The acquired knowledge must demonstrably be kept on the right level, together with ensuring the latest developments and insights are being shared and honoured.

In some occupational groups participation in radiation protection courses that meet governmental requirements, is obligatory. This applies to most professions in the medical setting. For other professions, sometimes an instruction directed at the specific task can suffice.

Prof. Ron Heeren is a pioneer in mass spectrometry imaging, a technique used to visualise the spatial distribution of molecules. This makes “precision medicine” a reality for a wide range of diseases including cancer.

Heeren is one of the scientific directors of the Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging institute (M4I) and heads the division of imaging MS. He was appointed as distinguished professor and Limburg Chair at the University of Maastricht in 2014 and has been the driving force behind several innovations.

In August 2016, Prof. Heeren held a TedX talk about recent advances in molecular imaging, ushering in what he called a new dawn in cancer surgery.

Scientific career

Ron Heeren obtained a PhD degree in Technical Physics at the University of Amsterdam in 1992. He led a FOM-AMOLF research group focussing on macromolecular ion physics and biomolecular imaging mass spectrometry before his appointment as professor at the chemistry faculty of Utrecht University. Between 1995 and 2015, he developed new approaches towards high spatial resolution and high throughput molecular imaging mass spectrometry using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption and Ionization.

From 2008 to 2013, Heeren was the research director for emerging technologies at the Netherlands Proteomics Centre. In 2012, he co-founded Omics2Image B.V., a company focused on bringing innovative ion detector technology to the analytical market. In 2014 he was appointed at Maastricht University and became one of the scientific directors of M4I, the Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging institute, where he heads the Imaging MS division.

Professor Ron Heeren introduces himself at UM

Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp

Education

Prof. Heeren has supervised more than 60 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have received prestigious awards (NWO-Vidi and ERC grants for example) and are now leading their own labs or hold key positions in industry. Currently, he supervises masters and PhD students at UM, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam.

His tutorial lecture on Imaging MS at the 2014 annual ASMS conference is still referenced by many in and outside of the field.

<h3>A tutor in his element</h3>

Prof. Heeren is part of the organising committee of the annual Mass Spectrometry in Biomedicine summer school in Dubrovnik (now in its twelfth year), where he tutors and inspires students to network and prepare for a career in MS. As the founding director of M4I (2014), he built the Imaging Mass Spectrometry division to perform cutting-edge research and train the next generation of scientists. He has designed and established a molecular imaging track in the Biomedical Sciences Master programme and is coordinating the establishment of a new Molecular Imaging and Engineering Master programme at UM. Together with his team, he has organised numerous hands-on imaging MS workshops.

Prof. Heeren’s educational contribution extends beyond the academic research community, and he engages the general public frequently: he hosts lab open house events to share his work, is featured in numerous YouTube and social media articles.

How do you know within 30 minutes whether a tumor is completely gone?

Research

Heeren’s academic research interests are the fundamental studies of the energetics of macromolecular systems, conformational studies of non-covalently bound protein complexes, translational imaging research, high-throughput bioinformatics and the development and validation of new mass spectrometry based proteomic imaging techniques for the life sciences.

Talking about research at UM and explaining the benefits of collaboration and cross-fertilisation: “Disciplines disappear where researchers come together”.

Professor Heeren speaks at the opening of the LINK Institutes MERLN and M4I in early September 2017.

Publications

Prof. Heeren is the elected treasurer and executive board member of the international mass spectrometry foundation and serves on various editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals. He is and has been active in many professional societies to advance mass spectrometric research, education and professionalisation. His publication record encompasses an excess of 300 peer-reviewed publications and his H-index is 57 (Google scholar, August 2020).

Go to all publications

Awards

2020 Hans Fisher fellowship Technical University of Munich
2020 Thomson medal of the IMSF for distinguished contribution to international MS
2019 NWO-Physics Valorisation prize
2019 Brightlands Convention Award
2014 Robert Feulgen lecturer, Society for Histochemistry
2013 Winner, 10th Venture Challenge, Netherlands Genomics Initiative
2012 Award, Exploratory Measurement Science Group (EMSG), University of Edinburgh
2010 Distinguished Wiley Visiting Scientist award
2008 RCM Beynon Prize, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
2002 Bert L. Schram Award, Dutch Society for Mass Spectrometry (NVMS)

Work for third parties

<a name="thirdparties"></a>Science policy

Vice-chair, Recognition and Rewards, Impact committee, Maastricht University, 2020–present.
Chair, “werkgemeenschapscommissie Living Systems: Methods, Data, Analysis,” NWO-ENW, 2019–present
Member, Dutch Physics Council, 2020–present
Member, “Platform Academische Natuurkunde,” NWO, 2019–present
Quartermaster, “Living Systems: Methods, Data, Analysis,” NWO-ENW-Table Life Sciences, 2019
Member, Program Committee Physics@Veldhoven, 2019
Executive board member of the Netherlands Electron Microscopy Initiative NEMI, 2018-present
Member, German research society (DFG) research evaluation panel on imaging MS research, 2011
Dutch national representative and management committee member, EU-COST action BM1104, Mass Spectrometry Imaging: New Tools for Healthcare Research, 2011–2015
Dutch national representative, STSM manager and management committee member, EU-COST action CA16101, MULTI-modal Imaging of FOREnsic SciEnce Evidence - tools for Forensic Science, 2017–present
Member, Canada Foundation for Innovation expert panel, 2009
Member, Genome Canada Technology Development Competition Evaluation panel, 2008
Member, Program for International Research Experience of the US National Science Foundation, 2008–2012
Leading partner, EU-STREP project on imaging mass spectrometry, 2005–2009
Leading partner, EU-integrated project on nanomedicine, 2005–2009
Program leader, Dutch telescience Laboratory in the virtual laboratory for e-science (VL-e), 2003–2009

Science community-building

Executive board member for programs of the Dutch Society for Mass Spectrometry (NVMS), 1998–2000
President of the Dutch Society for Mass Spectrometry (NVMS), 2000–2005
Chairman of the 2007 ASMS Sanibel meeting on imaging MS, 2006–2007
Treasurer of the International Mass Spectrometry Foundation, 2012–2018
Vice-president of the International Mass Spectrometry Foundation, 2019–present
First President of the Mass Spectrometry Imaging Society, 2017–2018
Executive board member of the Indian Society for Mass Spectrometry, 2014–2016
Founding member of the MS imaging study group of the European Society for Molecular Imaging
Active member in professional societies, NVMS, ACS, ASMS, NNV

Editorial activities

Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the MOAC doctoral training centre of the University of Warwick, 2013–2015
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the analytical sciences centre of the University of Warwick, 2008–2015
Member of the Scientific Advisory board of the German “Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung” funded LiSyM program, 2016–present
Member of the EU project ”Metaspace,” 2015–2019

Advisory roles

Scientific Advisor for SCiLS-Bruker, 2017–2020
Scientific Advisor for Denator, 2015–2016
Scientific Advisor for Protea Biosciences Inc., 2013–2015
Scientific Advisor for Imabiotech SA, 2010–2014
Scientific Advisor for NextGen systems, 2018–present
Scientific Advisor of the Dutch Screening group, 2018-present
Chair of NSF-panel of hyperspectral imaging in forensic science, 2012

<a name="press"></a>In the press

L1, De stemming podcast, 20 September 2020
C2W, Snelle samples voor MALDI-MSI, 2 June 2020
Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Natuurkunde, Interview met Ron Heeren, 1 February 2020
Eindhovens Dagblad, Prijs voor fysicus in Veldhoven: diagnose tijdens operatie dankzij moleculenmeter, 21 January 2020
WijLimburg, Brightlands Convention Award voor Ron Heeren, 24 March 2019
The Translational Scientist, The Inside Story, 6 December 2018
KT Seminars, Translational imaging mass spectrometry: From CERN to the surgeon, 29 May 2018
C2W, Maastricht: broedplaats voor interdisciplinair onderzoek, 11 May 2018
The Analytical Scientist, The Inside Story, May 2018 issue
WijLimburg TV 1op1, Ron Heeren (Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus), 9 April 2018
WijLimburg TV 1op1, Hoogleraar Ron Heeren en Meisje met de parel te gast in 1op1 – WijLimburg TV, 22 March 2018
VSNU Ezine, De digitale operatiekamer van de toekomst, 2017
The Analytical Scientist, Power List 2017
RTL Nieuws, Ron Heeren over de 'massamicroscoop', 23 December 2016
The Scientists' Channel,
Ron M.A. Heeren on the Use of Advanced Molecular Imaging Technologies for Translational Research, 1 August 2016
Business Wire, MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute at Maastricht University Joins Waters Centers of Innovation Program, 22 June 2016
ZuidLimburg.nl, Meet bright people: Ron Heeren, 16 November 2015
Brightlands Campussen, Meet Bright People: Ron Heeren, 12 November 2015
The Analytical Scientist,
MultiModal Molecular Imaging, 26 February 2015
Bits & Chips, Maastrichtse universiteit kaapt onderzoeksgroep weg bij Fom2, July 2014

<a name="news"></a>News

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Human interest

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Ron Heeren receives Thomson Medal

UM news

Prof. dr. Ron Heeren received the prestigious Thomson Medal for his work in the field of mass spectrometry.

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is housed in 5 buildings (Grote Gracht, Maastricht). All buildings are fairly accessible for people with a physical disability, although there are some exceptions. Details about accessibility for wheelchair users, including the location of disabled toilets and floor plans can be found in the detailed descriptions for each building.

Below you will find more general information about disabled parking, public transport links to and from the faculty and what to do in the event of an evacuation.

Parking spaces

The faculty has one car park behind the buildings Grote Gracht 90-92 and Grote Gracht 76 for staff and visitors. The nearest disabled parking facility is on the Kommel 10, which is about 180 meters from the main entrance of GG90-92.

Be aware that the Maastricht city centre consists largely of historical buildings and cobbled streets, which can be unpleasant for wheelchair users.

Public transport

The journey planner 9292.nl (also available in English) provides up-to-date information about public transport links. The university has a number of bus and rail links. Several transport companies offer extra facilities to enable passengers with a disability to access public transport, stations and stops. Please visit the website of the transport company for more information on accessibility:

NS (Dutch railway)
Arriva (buses, information in Dutch only)
De Lijn (Belgian buses that also stop in Maastricht).

Emergency and evacuation

During an emergency the elevators will not be in use. If you need help with an evacuation via the stairs, assistance is available. Emergency Response Officers will help you exit.

If the fire alarm is activated in an emergency:

make your way to the nearest fire exit stairwell
tell others you need help so they can alert those managing the evacuation
if there is a telephone at your refuge area, use it to call 1333; otherwise dial +31 (0)43 3875566 on your mobile phone to inform Central Services of your location
stay in the stairwell refuge area until the evacuation team arrives.

FASoS Buildings

Grote Gracht 76

The ground floor of Grote Gracht 76 is easily accessible for people with a physical disability (including wheel chair users). The building has no disabled toilet. The first floor can only be accessed by stairs.

Please note that this building can only be reached via Grote Gracht 90-92.

Floor plans:

Grote Gracht 76s

All flours in this building are accessible for people with a physical disability (including wheel chair users) and has a disabled toilet. The building can be entered via de bicycle shed between buildings Grote Gracht 76s and Grote Gracht 80-82. The door opens automatically with an authorised UM employee or student card.

Floor plans:

Grote Gracht 80-82

All parts of this building are accessible for people with a physical disability (including wheel chair users) via de main entrance. The ground floor has a disabled toilet. Grote Gracht 80-82 has a front and a rear building, both have an elevator, which means all floors can be reached.

Floor plans:

Grote Gracht 86

This building is not accessible to wheel chair users and has also limitations for people with a physical disability. The building can only be accessed by stairs and has no disabled toilet.

Floor plans:

Grote Gracht 90-92

This building is easily accessible for people with a physical disability (inluding wheel chair users) and has an elevator, although some parts of the building can only be reached by stairs:

C-wing (second floor)
D-wing (part of the ground floor, first and second floor)
E-wing

A disabled toilet is situated on the ground floor.

Floor plans:

Information and floor plans

We are all deeply saddened by the sudden death of Patricia Leen on 1 September 2020, at the age of 25.

Patricia started her academic career at UM with a bachelor's degree at the Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering (DKE). She was regarded by her teachers and fellow students at DKE as a very friendly student, who achieved good grades and always came well prepared to her meetings and classes. Patricia was the first female pioneer in the KE@work honours programme. This is an excellence programme in which students, in addition to their full-time studies, work at a company in the region two days a week for two years, dealing with issues pertaining to Artificial Intelligence. Patricia did this with great pleasure and dedication; unfortunately, she had to stop this programme prematurely because of her health. Despite the challenges with her health, however, Patricia continued her studies and successfully completed her bachelor's degree at DKE.

During her studies at DKE, Patricia became interested in the human brain. For her bachelor’s thesis, she addressed difficult conceptual and technical challenges, and developed a computational model of perceptual learning (a form of skill learning) and algorithms to better detect microsaccades (super-small eye movements), which are of great importance in contemporary attention and skill learning research. As if these scientific challenges were not enough, Patricia also developed software during her thesis year to record eye movements during visual research using a laptop (she replaced an entire lab with a single laptop equipped with her smart software). This laptop and her software later turned out to be essential for the research of several other researchers. These activities also brought her into contact with researchers within the Cognitive Neuroscience (CN) department of the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), where her interest in the human brain was further stimulated.

Patricia then successfully applied for a place in the Cognitive Neuroscience specialisation of the Research Master’s program hosted at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), where she had the ambition to combine her mathematical talents with cognitive research. In the first blocks of the Cognitive Neuroscience Research Master specialization, her enormous talent stood out, but gradually Patricia’s health problems worsened, which imposed more and more limits on her enormous potential and ambitions. Patricia eventually switched to the one-year master's programme in Cognitive Neuroscience and was completing her Master's internship on location at Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology (MaCSBio) at the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE).

Patricia was a brilliant mind. In addition to her research contributions that continue to help people today, we remember Patricia for her keen insights into herself and others, as well as her kindness and humility, despite her exceptional abilities. She also had a contagious and sometimes sarcastic sense of humour, sometimes laughing about her problems, and was ready to help others if she could, in spite of her own challenges.

It is difficult to say goodbye to Patricia, but she made a lasting impression on many. From the students and staff of FSE and FPN, we wish Patricia's parents, sister, grandparents, family and friends a lot of strength in coping with this great loss.

There will be an opportunity to pay your last respects on Tuesday September 8 from 19.00 to 20.00 pm at the funeral home ‘Vanhove Uitvaartzorg‘, Brogelerweg 24, 3950 Bocholt, Belgium. Please note that wearing a facemask is required and we advise you to check the most current Belgian Covid-19 travel regulations. The funeral on Wednesday will be in intimate circle. Via the website https://www.inmemoriam.be it is possible to extend your condolences online.

It may be that you need spiritual assistance and guidance as a result of, Patrica Leen’s demise. The student advisors at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience as well as the UM Psychologists at Maastricht University will be there for you if you need them. Feel free to contact either the academic adviser at FPN Marin Been or at DKE Tessa Fox or the UM Psychologists via the secretariat of student guidance at SSC by email. You can also contact the Student Chaplaincy for support at Innbetween by email.

Tuesday 19 October 2021

Regional Group and PhD SIG Meetings
Welcome Reception (evening)

Wednesday 20 October 2021

Conference Opening
Keynote address: Professor Aminata Cairo (The Hague, Netherlands)
Parallel sessions: Contributed papers, colloquia, posters.
Round Table.
Evening free.

Thursday 21 October 2021

Keynote address: Professor Philippe Van Parijs (Université Louvain-La-Neuve / University of Leuven, Belgium)
Parallel sessions: Contributed papers, colloquia, posters.
ICLHE Annual General Meeting
Round Table or Seminar.
ICLHE Conference Dinner

Friday 22 October 2021

Parallel sessions: Contributed papers, colloquia, posters.
Keynote address: Dr Kristina Hultgren (Open University, UK)
Close of conference (lunchtime)

Fill in your email address and we'll send you a reminder shortly before the webinar about admissions, part of Maastricht University Live - Bachelor's Edition.

More information on our Facebook event page

You can join the programme live and ask your questions in advance: join-us@maastrichtuniversity.nl

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At the campus Randwyck, sources of ionising radiation such as X-ray devices and radioactive substances, are used in the fields of medical care, research and education.
The use of these sources requires a governmental license, according to the Nuclear Energy Law.
The radiation protection unit manages this license, on behalf of the boards of the institutions that collaborate in radiation protection: Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht University (UM), Maastro Clinic, Maastro Proton Therapy BV and Brightlands Incubators Maastricht BV.

Our colleagues of Health, Safety and Buildings can be found here.

When you walked into a room, you would know Ibrahima Kaba was there. He had a magnetic energy about him. He was passionate about everything he took an interest in, and would debate and dance with you for hours - it was hard to keep up with him! He had ambitious dreams to help his country and it is unfair that he can’t ever accomplish them (because we know he could have). It is a great loss to the world of economics and to those who will never again be able to share his company, but it is a privilege to have created so many memories with him.

On behalf of UNU-MERIT,
Eveline in de Braek

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