People

Associate Professor – m.r.dezoete-2@umcutrecht.nl

Marcel de Zoete completed his PhD thesis at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology of Utrecht University (NL). In his thesis, he focused on the interactions of intestinal bacterial pathogens with the innate immune system. During a postdoc at the Department of Immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine, in the lab of Prof. Dr. Richard Flavell, he studied which and how bacterial members of the intestinal microbiota contribute to diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome.

As of 2015 he is a principle investigator; first as Assistant Professor at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology of Utrecht University, and since 2019 as Associate Professor at the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. His research focusses on the molecular mechanisms through which the microbiota and their metabolites, by targeting epithelial, stromal and immune cells, influence intestinal health and disease.

Assistant Professor – j.top@umcutrecht.nl

Janetta did her PhD on the molecular epidemiology of Enterococcus faecium at the  UMC Utrecht under the supervision of Prof. Rob Willems. Afterwards, she performed research on the functional genomics of E. faecium.

Since 2020 she became more involved in microbiome data analysis within the microbiome center also in the group of Rob Willems. Currently, she is leading this microbiome center, where we study how the interactions between microbiota and the human affect health and disease. To achieve this, we use state-of-the-art technology like 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomics.

Postdoc – m.vangogh-2@umcutrecht.nl 

Merel received her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and Master’s degree in Cancer, Stem Cells and Developmental biology at the Utrecht University. Afterwards, she moved to Switzerland for her PhD in Cancer Biology. During her PhD she mainly focused on the tumor microenvironment, cancer immunology and metastasis.

In July 2023 she started as a postdoc in the lab of Marcel de Zoete. Here, she focuses on the interplay between cancer and the microbiota. Specifically, she is working on the role of the intestinal microbiota during immunotherapy response in cancer patients. The aim is to understand how immunomodulatory bacteria influence both the response rate and adverse events during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, to ultimately improve the lives of cancer patients.

In her spare time she likes to play boardgames, travel and hike in the Swiss mountains.

PhD Student – f.a.schaafsma@umcutrecht.nl

Freke joined the group in January 2024 as a PhD student investigating the interactions between gut commensal bacteria and the host. For this, she studies how different probiotic bacteria, single strain or in consortia, impact host cells and molecules with a focus on immunomodulatory effects.

Besides her research project, Freke loves to spend time with family and friends. She enjoys being active and to join cultural activities.

Lab Manager –  m.salomons-2@umcutrecht.nl

Moniek started working in the UMCU in 2015 at the bacteriology diagnostics department. In 2019 she made the transition to research. She worked on different projects like whole genome sequencing of E.coli from urine and blood samples. She now works with specific strains from the gut, like Akkermansia, Allobaculum, Lactobacillus and Fusobacterium to unravel their mysteries.

Besides that she is the lab coordinator, participates in the practicum giving to students and is helping PhD students with experiments. In her spare time she likes to spend time with family and friends and go to the gym.

MSc Student –  m.d.lukassen@umcutrecht.nl

Maura joined the group as a research intern in October 2025 as part of her Master’s program in Infection and Immunity. During her 9-month project, she will primarily focus on the role of gut commensal-derived GPCR-ligands in modulating intestinal inflammation. Outside the lab, Maura enjoys playing sports such as volleyball and running, and spending time in nature.

MSc Student –  k.c.vanderkooij-2@umcutrecht.nl

Kirsten joined the group as a research intern in October 2025 as part of her master’s program in Infection and Immunity. During her 9-month project, she will focus on how the gut microbiome the outcome of immune checkpoint inhibitory therapy influences. In her free time, she likes to cook, bake, and hang out with friends and family.