Specialization
MDL-arts/Hepatologist
Clinical Pharmacologist (in training)
Focus of research
Advanced chronic liver disease
Pharmacotherapy in chronic liver disease
Evidence-based reduction of non-beneficial care
Severe infections remain a leading cause of death in patients with advanced chronic liver disease, a challenge I believe is fundamentally rooted in altered pharmacokinetics, reduced drug efficacy, and drug-induced liver injury (DILI) due to toxicity. My core research ambition is to optimize drug use in liver disease through precision pharmacotherapy and the evidence-based reduction of non-beneficial care, thereby lowering mortality and healthcare costs while improving health-related quality of life.
My scientific trajectory began with doctoral research on antibiotic pharmacokinetics in liver and renal cyst infections, during which I developed a compartmental model that predicts drug concentrations in hepatic cyst fluid. Subsequent work identified novel regimens for recurrent cyst infection. I led a Delphi consensus that standardized international management of liver cyst infection, forging collaborations that now underpin my multicenter trials. This work, together with related projects, has been recognized through multiple competitive grants totalling more than €1.5 million.
In July 2025, I was awarded a ZonMw grant for the ALBUMINUS study, a national randomized controlled trial evaluating the safety and cost-effectiveness of reducing human albumin use during large-volume paracentesis in patients with cirrhosis. This trial exemplifies my broader agenda of challenging costly routine practices, advancing evidence-based care, and ensuring that treatment choices are both clinically effective and value-driven.
Leadership and mentorship are integral to my academic identity. I co-supervise several PhD candidates, have mentored more than 25 medical students into scientific careers, and serve as Associated Editor for hepatology of the United European Gastroenterology Journal. I co-chair the Dutch Portal Hypertension Working Group, am a founding member of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Pharmacy Task Force, and hold committee positions within the Nederlandse Vereniging van Maag-Darm-Leverartsen (NVMDL) hepatology and pharmacotherapy committees and Education Committee of the European Reference Network (ERN) for Rare Liver Disease, providing platforms for collaboration, disseminating, and implementation of evidence-based practice.
In the future, I aim to consolidate pharmacokinetic modelling, pragmatic randomized trials, and value-based pharmacotherapy into a cohese research program. The immediate objective is to develop an algorithm that individualizes drug dosing for patients with advanced chronic liver disease based on residual liver function, real-time drug exposure, and toxicity risk, including DILI, so that treatment for liver disease patients becomes safer, more effective, and more rational.