In the beginning of 2022, Ruth Willems started her PhD project at Synapse Research Institute, in collaboration with the Maastricht University Medical Center. Her PhD project focuses on pancreatic cancer-associated thrombosis, with an emphasis on the development of novel blood tests to identify the patients with the highest thrombosis risk. Ruth has particular expertise in blood cell-dependent diagnostic assays. Through her dual position at both our institute as well as the medical center, Ruth provides a valuable link between research and the clinic.
Ruth Willems graduated from the Bachelor Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, where she specialized in Medical Chemistry. In 2020, she completed her master’s degree in Medicine-Clinical Research in 2020, graduating with cum laude honors. During her master’s program, she conducted her graduate internship at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, researching Lymphocytopenia and T cell function in patients hospitalized for community acquired pneumonia. Following her master’s degree, Ruth worked as a physician in the Internal Medicine department at the Maastricht University Medical Center, where she gained experience in vascular medicine and medical oncology. In 2024, she began her residency in Internal Medicine, which she combines with her ongoing PhD research.
