About the companies that attended the career day of 2015.
The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class research centre devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of human cognition and behavior in health and disease. The Institute is home to more than 600 researchers from 35 countries who share the common goal of contributing to the advancement of the brain-, cognitive- and behavioral sciences through investigator-driven research, and improving health, education and technology by applying advances in this field. The Institute’s mission includes conducting interdisciplinary research of excellence at the unique interface between genetic, molecular and cellular processes at one end and computational, system-level neuroscience with cognitive and behavioral analysis at the other end. Within this range we focus on four research themes:
- Language and Communication
- Perception, Action and Control
- Plasticity and Memory
- Brain Networks and Neuronal Communication
Enza Zaden was established in 1938 under the name of ‘De Enkhuizer Zaadhandel’ His mission then was to sell as many seeds as possible. In 1959 the company added numerous plant breeding programmes to the activities. Ever since, their vegetable varieties are fully tuned to the specific demands of growers worldwide. Thanks to their expertise, the varieties are totally attuned to the great diversity in demands around the world, whether this concerns market demands or geographical and climatic conditions. Their breeding programmes include tomato, cucumber, sweet pepper, and leafy vegetables. They belong among the international top in supplying the ultimate source for vegetables.
The Green Student Lab: Internships during the Bachelor’s and Master’s phase are a very important part of the preparation for a successful career. Internships within academic groups in the life sciences are usually focused on academic research and an academic career, while most graduates these days do not pursue an academic career. The Green Student Lab chose to offer students internships that focus on a career outside of the academic environment. The GSL is run like a regular -independent- lab, but it obtains research questions from non-academic parties, such as breeding companies. In addition, extra courses are offered that are not part of any standard academic life science curriculum. These courses will focus on additional skills or company related information. Examples of these courses include: job interview training, planning and time management, presentation, professional self-awareness and the value of research. An internship in the Green Student Lab will be assessed similarly as a conventional academic internship.
MPA: The MPA is a Management, Policy Analysis and Entrepreneurship in the Health & Life Sciences. This is a master at the VU and it prepares students for interdisciplinair research. With the fast development of medicine, lots of social and moral questions arise. Providing the best possible answers to these questions calls for cooperation between several disciplines and actors in society, from government, industry and social institutions to consumers and patients. The Master’s program offers the ideal opportunity to specialize in this fascinating area of research where a wide range of disciplines meet.
Neurensics is Europe’s first neuroeconomic research and consulting firm with direct access to neuroimaging techniques. They use the latest neuromarketing discoveries to research consumer behavior and provide advice. They have their own regularly scheduled “user time” on state-of-the-art fMRI equipment. Analyses are performed in close cooperation with marketers, communications strategists and scientists and the client. As such, our form of neuromarketing is an interactive process that produces amazing results.The scientific input is overseen by Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Victor Lamme and Associate Professor Steven Scholte, both of whom teach at the University of Amsterdam. The commercial input is overseen by brand strategist Martin de Munnik and social psychologist and business administrator Walter Limpens.
Tesla is a minor programme (30 EC) for Master’s students from the Faculty of Science and science faculties of other universities. During the programme, a selected group of students works on a complex challenge for a company or societal organization. This allows them to utilise science and their academic background in a project on the interface of science, business and society. During the programme, the student will be working on a real challenge posed by an external client (such as Siemens). The student will also participate trainings and workshops on projectmanagement, teamwork, communication, self-reflection, ‘information processing’ or ‘doing business’.
Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation ensures a safe and efficient blood supply in the Netherlands and promotes transfusion medicine. Next to collecting blood and providing products and services, Sanquin also carries out research and provides education. Within all divisions of Sanquin, research relating to blood transfusion medicine and immunology in the broadest sense is performed by a dedicated research staff. This staff consists of about 120 researchers and over 80 technicians. Every year over 150 papers are published.
Old members of Congo and Alumni
Arjan Miedema studies neurosciences and is currently employed as a biology teacher at a gymnasium. He is a trainer at TAQT, an old member of the students MR and an old chairman of the students party Mei.
Elisa Remmers is the coordinator of the bachelorprojects of the study Psychobiology. She studies Psychobiology at the UvA and she has graduated the research master Brain and Cognitive Sciences cum laude.
Guido Meijer Studies at the UvA. He completed the Cognitive Neuroscience track of the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Master. He has done several research, including research to the plasticity of the primal visual cortex of mice. Currently, he is a PhD student at the UvA and investigates how neurones processes and integrates information from several senses.
Joris Buijs is the project manager of the Tesla minor (see Tesla below) and the coordinator of the junior-teachers. He studies Neuroscience at the UvA from 2003-2007.
Mark de Boer is a researcher at Dienst Uitvoerig Onderwijs. He studied Biomedical Sciences at the UvA. He has done research at the AMC to the dendritic cells of the immune system als part of his master.
Sandra Cornelisse is a professor and educational developer for the bachelor Psychobiology at the UvA. She studies Psychobiology at the UvA and she was an active member of Congo at that time.
Karlijn Doorn is a PhD student in the department of anatomy and neuroscience. She is the program coordinator of the Psychobiology bachelor and teacher at the Science Faculty of the UvA and the Educational Service Center. She studied Biomedical Science at the UvA.
Lianne Klaver is a PhD student in Cognitive & Systems Neuroscience at the UvA. She is in ONWAR Graduate School for Neuroscience in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. This is a trainingsprogramme for PhD students that organizes lectures and annual meetings in the field of neurosciences. ONWAR consists of five research institutes.