Bernadette de Bakker was a guest on Roos Abelman’s NPO Radio 1 Spraakmakers show. For one hour, she sat down with Jim Jansen, the editor-in-chief of New Scientist, to discuss our research. The main focus of the discussion was our plans to bring more attention to research on miscarriages. Currently, there are 23 million miscarriages occurring worldwide each year, which means 44 per minute. With the knowledge and expertise we’ve gained in our research group through high-resolution imaging using Micro-CT, we hope to eventually provide parents who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth with the opportunity to examine their child using Micro-CT. Bernadette took the opportunity to emphasize the launch of the Little Miracles Foundation, through which we hope to raise funding for this important research.

Other topics that were discussed included the use of AI in research and the expansion of the embryo law. We hope that the new government will embrace the expansion from 14 to 28 days, as recently recommended by the Health Council.

Biobank initiatives, where we serve as an excellent example, were also on the agenda. Long-term funding for biobanks is a concern, as the current funding structure mainly supports short projects lasting 2 to 4 years, which is insufficient for establishing a biobank that requires dedicated research efforts. Biobanks, in particular, provide the opportunity to eventually answer significant research questions by making tissues, images, and data openly available.

All in all, it was a fantastic platform to highlight our valuable research, and it was a highly inspiring experience!

Check the website of Spraakmakers to check the interview.