Experience

Avalanche Medical B.V.

• Medical Equipment Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Officer

  • Jan 2022 - Present



Maastricht University

• Netherlands
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Assistant Professor

  • Jul 2019 - Present



Maastricht University Medical Center

• Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Oct 2015 - Jul 2019

  Currently involved in two Chemelot InSciTe projects: the SyCaP project and the PoSTuRE project. The aim of the SyCaP project (Synthetic Cartilage Plug) is to develop a synthetic cartilage resurfacing implant for the knee which allows for postoperative MRI visualization of the complete joint. In this project consortium, MUMC+ is responsible for the development of the surgical tool set required for accurate surgical placement, and for execution of all preclinical animal trials. In the… Show more Currently involved in two Chemelot InSciTe projects: the SyCaP project and the PoSTuRE project. The aim of the SyCaP project (Synthetic Cartilage Plug) is to develop a synthetic cartilage resurfacing implant for the knee which allows for postoperative MRI visualization of the complete joint. In this project consortium, MUMC+ is responsible for the development of the surgical tool set required for accurate surgical placement, and for execution of all preclinical animal trials. In the PoSTuRE project (Patient-Tailored Scoliosis Treatment), the concept developed in the BMM Spineguide project will be developed further towards a market-ready surgical treatment system. Clinical introduction of the radiopaque UHMWPE sublaminar cables is scheduled and the target population will be widened towards degenerative scoliosis patients. This will require further biomechanical testing and product optimization for improved surgical ease. Steps towards patient-tailored treatment systems will be made through additive manufacturing and computational modeling.

• PHD Candidate

  • Sep 2011 - Oct 2015

  As part of the BMM Spineguide Project, a full preclinical evaluation of a novel, growth-sparing surgical technique for early onset scoliosis correction was performed and described in my thesis. This evaluation included mechanical testing, biomechanical testing, animal experiments, and finite element analysis. FDA 510(k) approval was granted for the novel radiopaque UHMWPE sublaminar wires made with Dyneema Purity® fibers based on the results of all tests. My responsibilities included the… Show more As part of the BMM Spineguide Project, a full preclinical evaluation of a novel, growth-sparing surgical technique for early onset scoliosis correction was performed and described in my thesis. This evaluation included mechanical testing, biomechanical testing, animal experiments, and finite element analysis. FDA 510(k) approval was granted for the novel radiopaque UHMWPE sublaminar wires made with Dyneema Purity® fibers based on the results of all tests. My responsibilities included the design, execution and evaluation of biomechanical and mechanical tests, the planning, execution and evaluation of animal experiments, and also the supervision of several graduation and internship projects for biomedical engineering students.