PhD Pytsje Hoekstra

I am a PhD researcher in the Clinical Parasitology Group at the Department of Parasitology as well as at the Department of Cell and Chemical Biology. My main focus is on the evaluation and application of sensitive diagnostic methods for schistosomiasis in various settings, with a specific focus on the detection of circulating antigens via the field applicable point-of-care CCA test (POC-CCA) as well as the laboratory-based CAA test using upconverting particle (UCP) technology. At the moment I am working on the RePST project: Repeated doses of Praziquantel in Schistosomiasis Treatment, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of single vs. multiple treatments of praziquantel in intestinal African schistosomiasis in Côte d’Ivoire (www.repst.org), as well as various other projects (ao www.freebily.eu).

In 2010 I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and in 2012 my Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Free University of Amsterdam. During my master studies I did my research internship at the Department of Parasitology of the LUMC where I focused on the evaluation of a real-time PCR assay for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis and implemented this assay in a routine diagnostic lab in South Africa. For my final internship I had the opportunity to go to Mwanza, Tanzania where I worked together with a paediatrician on a research project that focused on describing the prevalence of and factors associated with sexually transmitted infections among pregnant adolescent girls from rural Tanzania. After my studies I started working as a data monitor at the Stichting HIV Monitoring (HIV Monitoring Foundation) from 2012-2016. However, because of my strong interest in research, especially in parasitological research, I returned to work at the Department of Parasitology in 2016.