A once-in-a-career opportunity, thanks to the Elise Mathilde Foundation!

Thanks to the generous and hospitable gift from the Elise Mathilde Foundation, I had the privilege of retreating for three days to the stunning Landgoed Noorderheide with my entire research team. This extraordinary experience allowed us to connect on a deeper level, sharpen our vision, and reflect on our collective mission.

The invitation followed a presentation I delivered at the Royal Society for Physics, organized by Peter Sterk. To my delight, I received the phone call that our research group’s societal impact had been recognized by the Foundation, granting us this invaluable opportunity.

Under the expert guidance of our coach, Johan Lievens from Ardis Organisatieontwikkeling, we engaged in practical sessions to align our goals and strengthen team dynamics. We were also inspired by contributions from Grant Support, Eline van Dulmen-den Broeder, and Steven van Huiden from IXA – Innovation Exchange Amsterdam, led by Yousif Dawood. And, of course, our lively and personal pub quiz—thank you Puck Mulder, Veerle Michels, and Sophie Caroline Visser for making it such a success!

Amid the breathtaking Dutch heatherlands—graced by a rare touch of snow and the occasional visit from curious mouflons—we reflected, bonded, and recharged. Special thanks to our wonderful hosts, Roos Hijmans and Thijs Punte, for their impeccable care and to Janine Felix and the Board of the Elise Mathilde Foundation and Christianne de Groot for making this possible.

To many more moments of inspiration and collaboration!

Eva Pajkrt, Roelof-Jan Oostra, Marcella Zijta, Wenjing Gou, Puck Mulder, Veerle Michels, Daniël Docter, Sophie Caroline Visser, Yousif Dawood, Jermo Hanemaaijer-van der Veer, Nick Lobé, Quinn Gunst, Jaco Hagoort, Anna Ouwerkerk, Marius Zuidweg, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development