With the assistance of a Cancer Center Amsterdam Travel Grant, I conducted a research fellowship last year at the University of Colorado, under the supervision of pancreatic surgeons Marco Del Chiaro (University of Colorado) and Marc Besselink (Amsterdam UMC). This experience was an integral part of my PhD research on the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is internationally renowned in this field and was selected as one of the four international proctor centers for the Dutch national PREOPANC4 trial (NCT05524090). The ongoing PREOPANC-4 trial aims to implement international best practices for the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer in the Netherlands (see previous interview in the CCA newsletter). My research fellowship was part of the PREOPANC-4 trial, with a focus on expanding the scientific collaboration between the University of Colorado and Amsterdam UMC, as well as the Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Group. This collaborative effort seeks to enhance the evidence and thereby improve the care provided to pancreatic cancer patient in the Netherlands.
The University of Colorado’s research team includes a diverse group of international surgeons and residents, which has expanded our network to include various centers from the US, Europe, and Asia (see photo on the right). During my 10-month fellowship, I initiated several international studies focused on assessing the outcomes of different oncological and surgical treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer.
Now I am back in the Netherlands, where we continue to collaborate with the University of Colorado through online meetings, work visits from colleagues (see the photo below), and the initiation of new research projects.
Pancreatic surgery research team at the University of Colorado, featuring Professor Marco Del Chiaro, Professor Richard Schulick, Thomas Stoop and others.
Marc Besselink’s visit to University of Colorado pancreatic surgery team last December.
I am deeply grateful to Cancer Center Amsterdam for providing the crucial financial support that made this fellowship possible. This research fellowship not only facilitated my professional development in the field of science, but also personally by living for almost a year in a country with a completely different culture, values, and a healthcare system. It has truly been an experience of a lifetime!
For more information contact Thomas Stoop
Text by Thomas Stoop
This article was created for Cancer Center Amsterdam.