Meet Cece Kooper
Cece Kooper is a postdoctoral researcher in cognitive neuroscience at Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC. Earlier this year, she obtained her PhD for her research on the impact of traumatic brain injury in children.
She is a member of the Emma Neuroscience Group, which studies how disease and treatment affect the brains of children and young adults and how this translates into daily life functioning. Based on her expertise in traumatic brain injury, she is also involved in Concussion Management at AFC Ajax.
What motivates Cece Kooper to do this research?
“From a young age, I have been fascinated by the brain and development, and that fascination has never faded. During my PhD, I became increasingly aware of the complexity of brain development and the wide variation in outcomes after traumatic brain injury.
This motivated me to investigate how data from before and during hospital admission, together with advanced brain imaging, can help predict outcomes more accurately. The ultimate goal is to support clinicians in providing more personalized treatment and improving long-term recovery for pediatric patients.
Working with children and their parents, and collaborating with researchers and clinicians, continues to motivate me to contribute to more personalized prognosis and care.”
What impact does Cece Kooper hope her research will have?
“Our research within the Emma Neuroscience Group aims to better understand how disease and treatment affect the developing brain.
By combining neurocognitive assessments and advanced brain imaging, we hope to improve the prediction of patient outcomes and contribute to the transition towards precision medicine. This can help make follow-up care more targeted and feasible for future generations.
Beyond the hospital, I am also involved in Concussion Management at AFC Ajax, where I support screenings that help sports physicians evaluate players and guide them towards a responsible return to play.”
Cece Kooper for Postdoc Appreciation Week-NL. Photo credits: Martijn Gijsbertsen.