Nienke de Graeff, MA MD PhD

Stem cell research and genetic technologies are advancing rapidly. What does their responsible development and use require, and how should policy in this area be shaped? With my research group at the department of Medical Ethics & Health Law, I work on these ethical questions, including those surrounding embryo models, organoids, organs-on-a-chip, cell and gene therapy, and AI in laboratory research. We often do so in collaboration with the lab teams developing these technologies.

I have an interdisciplinary background in Liberal Arts & Sciences (BSc University College Maastricht, cum laude), Medicine (MSc SUMMA) and Ethics (MA Applied Ethics, Utrecht University, cum laude; PhD Bioethics, UMC Utrecht).

I also find it important to build bridges between research and policy. To that end, I am a member of the Young Academy Leiden, the Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (COGEM), and the Ethics Committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).

Responsible research starts with asking the right ethical questions early on, and answering them well requires input from the patients, researchers and clinicians involved. Much of my work therefore takes place at the intersection of ethics and the laboratory. Amongst others, I lead ethics research within a ZonMW-funded project on embryo models, an NWO-funded project on stem cell governance, and reNEW - a consortium that aims to bring stem cell research to the bedside. I am also node director of RAMP-UP, a European Commission-funded PhD programme on regenerative medicine.

I have received several awards and fellowships, including the Paul Schotsman Prize for Young Talented Scholars, an ISSCR Public Service Award, and a fellowship from the Girard de Mielet van Coehoorn Foundation for a research stay at Harvard Medical School. Finally, I enjoy contributing to public debates on scientific developments, including through appearances on Nieuwsuur, Met Het Oog op Morgen, and in De Volkskrant.