Our Team
Prof. Dr. Evelien Dekker
Gastroenterologist, professor of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the University of Amsterdam’s Faculty of Medicine (UvA) and the Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC).
Dr. Manon van der Vlugt
Gastroenterologist within the Amsterdam UMC, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in Amsterdam
Manon van der Vlugt is a gastroenterologist at the Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Manon van der Vlugt graduated in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam in 2002. She then studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam and completed her training as a gastroenterologist in 2013. Since 2013, Manon van der Vlugt has been working as a registered gastroenterologist at the Amsterdam UMC and obtained her PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 2017. Her areas of interest are gastrointestinal oncology with a special focus on precancerous colonic lesions, colorectal cancer, colorectal cancer screening and endoscopic ultrasound. Manon van der Vlugt has done a lot of research on colorectal cancer screening and quality in endoscopy. She has several publications to her name and has co-authored several publications.
Drs. Barbara Bastiaansen
Gastroenterologist within the Amsterdam UMC, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in Amsterdam
Barbara A.J. Bastiaansen is a consultant gastroenterologist at Amsterdam UMC since 2011 focusing on advanced therapeutic interventions. She obtained her medical degree at the University of Amsterdam in 2003, after which she started a residency in General Internal Medicine in 2004 at the Academic Medical Center (AMC) in Amsterdam. During her internal medicine residency she became fascinated with GI tract diseases and started her training as fellow Gastroenterology and Hepatology at AMC in 2006. Her clinical work and research focuses on new endoscopic treatment modalities for early colorectal cancer and complex polyps like endoscopic intermuscular dissection (EID) and endoscopic full thickness resection (eFTR). During her work she practices and teaches other advanced endoscopic techniques like per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and is involved in the Hereditary Colon Cancer Clinic team at Amsterdam UMC together with Prof. Dr. Evelien Dekker, Dr. Sandjai Ramsoekh, nurse specialist Suzie Oppeneer and Tamara Baig. She is coordinating and chairing the Dutch eFTR registry & study group since 2016 and is a member of the steering committee for GI Endoscopy in the Dutch Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology association since 2018.
Dr. Joep Grootjans
Gastroenterologist and group leader within the Tytgat Institute & the Amsterdam UMC, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in Amsterdam.
Joep Grootjans obtained his medical degree and PhD at the University of Maastricht, after which he started his residency in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the Amsterdam Medical Center (AMC) in Amsterdam. He interrupted his clinical training for a three-year postdoc (2014-2017) in the laboratory of Richard S. Blumberg at Harvard Medical school (Boston, USA) where he discovered the complexity and immunosuppressive role of peritoneal immune cells in mice (Science 2019). Joep Grootjans now works as a gastroenterologist at the Amsterdam UMC and is specialized in the endoscopic treatment of precancerous colonic lesions as well as early stage colon cancer. In addition, he leads a research group at the Tytgat Institute focusing on the role of inflammation and immunity in cancer development/progression.
Suzie Oppeneer
Nurse Practitioner
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Guusje Segond von Banchet
Nurse practitioner
Guusje Segond von Banchet, started working in the Amsterdam UMC, after obtaining her dual HBO nursing education at city hospital OLVG Oost. She obtained her HBO master’s degree in Advanced Nursing Practice here in 2023.
As a nurse practitioner, she is the first point of contact for patients with large colorectal polyps and early tumours treated endoscopically. She supervises patients from the moment they are referred to us, prior to endoscopic treatment until discharge after surveillance. As a result, she works in both the gastrointestinal outpatient clinic and the multi-disciplinary oncological consultation team GIOCA. Besides direct patient care, she supports her colleagues in scientific research.
Drs. Querijn van Bokhorst
MD, PhD Candidate
After graduating from medical school at the VU University (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) in 2019, he worked as a resident (not in training) at the departments of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the Noordwest Ziekenhuis (Alkmaar, the Netherlands) for almost two years. He started his Research Fellowship in the Amsterdam UMC in January 2022. The main focus of his research is (improving) quality of colonoscopy. Current research projects revolve around evaluation of new imaging techniques and artificial intelligence-based tools for colonoscopy, as well as patient experience and complication rates. Besides his day to day work at the Amsterdam UMC, he is involved in the maintenance and development of the national endoscopy quality registries within the Netherlands at the Dutch Institute of Clinical Auditing (DICA).
Drs. Hicham Bouchiba
MD, PhD Candidate
Hicham Bouchiba studied Medicine at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and graduated in 2022. He started his PhD in November 2022 at the Gastroenterology and Hepatology department under the supervision of prof. dr. E. Dekker and dr. A.S. Aelvoet. His PhD trajectory focuses on familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), particularly evaluating a prospective personalized surveillance protocol for both the upper- and lower gastrointestinal tract in collaboration with the European FAP consortium. Additionally, his research aims to investigate other manifestations within FAP, such as gastric cancer, to contribute to an improved understanding and management of this hereditary syndrome.
Drs. Rose Leijdesdorff
MD, PhD Candidate
Rose Leijdesdorff studied medicine at the University of Groningen. After writing her master thesis on the role of the microbiome in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) in the colorectal cancer group, her interest in the subject remained. In 2023 she joined the group of Prof. Dekker at the Amsterdam UMC as a PhD student, under joined supervision of Prof. Weersma (University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)) and Dr. Grootjans. Her research focusses on the role of the immune system and the gut microbiome in initiation and progression of colorectal cancer in hereditary cancer and polyposis syndromes.
Dr. Hanneke Beaumont
Gastroenterologist within the Amsterdam UMC, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in Amsterdam
Hanneke Beaumont is a gastroenterologist at the Amsterdam UMC, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in Amsterdam. She got her medical degree in 2003 at the University of Amsterdam, followed by her PhD on the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease in 2009 also at the University of Amsterdam. Thereafter, she started her training in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the Amsterdam Medical Center.
Since 2015 she works as a gastroenterologist at the Amsterdam UMC. Hanneke is a specialist in diseases of the small bowel, especially therapeutic enteroscopies, for example in patient with hereditary polyp syndromes. Furthermore, she is responsible for the capsule endoscopy unit. Besides the small bowel, she is also specialized in colonoscopy, as she is involved in the treatment of precancerous colonic lesions and in the national colorectal cancer screening programme.
Christine Cohen
Research Coordinator
Chistine is research coordinator of the CRC group of the Amsterdam UMC. She started with Evelien Dekker in 2004 and thus witnessed the birth of the group. In recent years she conducted many endoscopic studies. But also several medication studies in FAP. She enjoys the various contacts with different colleagues inside and outside the Amsterdam UMC and works hard to provide optimal care for patients who participate in a study. The CRC group is a very dynamic entity in which she feels at home.
Drs. Jasmijn Linssen
MD, PhD Candidate
| After working as a resident not in training in the Department of Internal Medicine, she began her PhD candidacy in September 2021 with the CRC Research Group and the Vermeulen Group for Molecular Oncology. Her research focuses on stem cell dynamics in the development of gastrointestinal cancers and explores potential chemopreventive strategies. By combining fundamental and clinical research, her team started a clinical trial to investigate the chemopreventive effect of lithium on adenoma development in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. Besides research, she is a member of the Greenteam in the Department of Gastroenterology, which focusses on promoting sustainable practices in healthcare. |
Drs. Roza Opperman
MD, PhD Candidate
| After studying medicine at Amsterdam UMC, she began as a PhD candidate in the CRC research group. Since April 2022 she has been working on non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal neoplasia detection and surveillance. She is particularly interested in fecal amino acids as a new biomarker. Her study team analyzes amino acid profiles in faecal samples at diagnosis and post-polypectomy, as well as in polyp and CRC tissues. In addition to studying amino acid profiles, she also engages to a lesser extent in studying the microbiome, bacterial proteome, proteases and their role in colorectal neoplasia. |
Drs. Mathijs Mol
Psychologist, PhD Candidate
Since January 1st 2023, Mathijs Mol works as a PhD student at the department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the Amsterdam UMC under the supervision of prof. dr. E. Dekker and dr. A.S. Aelvoet as well as the department of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology (PSOE) of the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) under the supervision of prof. dr. E.M.A. Bleiker. His field of study focusses on the psychosocial aspects of having Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), where the aim is to improve understanding and management of mental issues in FAP patients. He completed his bachelors of Psychology (BSc) and his Masters of Methodology and Statistics in Psychology (MSc) at the university of Leiden.
Dr. Arthur Aelvoet
MD, PhD, Postdoc, Gastroenterologist in training
After finishing medical school in 2019, he started working as a PhD candidate focusing on the endoscopic and surgical management of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis under supervision of Prof. Evelien Dekker and Prof. Patrick Bossuyt. After defending his thesis in 2023, he continued conducting research in this field as a postdoctoral researcher, combined with my residency in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Some of the new challenges he is currently working on is the prevention of gastric cancer in FAP and the detection and management of psychosocial issues in these patients.
Dr. Sandjai Ramsoekh
Gastroenterologist within the Amsterdam UMC, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in Amsterdam
Dr. Sandjai Ramsoekh is working as a gastroenterologist at the Amsterdam UMC since 2014.
He studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam. He obtained his PhD degree at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, where he also did his residency in Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Sandjai Ramsoekh is specialized in the endoscopic treatment of colonic lesions, hereditary colorectal cancer and hepatology. His research focuses on Lynch syndrome.
Tamara Baig
Nurse practitioner in training
Tamara Baig is a registered Nurse. She started working in the Gastroenterology Department in in July 2024. She is part of the outpatient clinic for familial intestinal tumors. In 2025 she will start the master of advanced nurse practice.
After she graduated from nursing school in 2019, she worked as a registered nurse at the gastroenterology nursing department in Amsterdam UMC for 5 years.
Drs. Elsa van Liere
MD, PhD Candidate
| Elsa’s studies focus on non-invasive urinary and faecal biomarkers for colorectal surveillance in Lynch syndrome, and on the role of the microbiome in the development of colorectal neoplasia in Lynch syndrome. After a 6-months research internship in the field of inflammatory bowel disease at various hospitals in London (including St. Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital), she completed her Master’s degree in Medicine in February 2020. In May 2020 she started her PhD. She is also board member PhD network Dutch society for Gastroenterology and volunteer for the patient association Lynch Polyposis The Netherlands. |
Drs. Sander Albers
MD, PhD Candidate
| Sander Albers studied Medicine at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, where he graduated in 2020. During his two-year residency (ANIOS) at the OLVG and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, he developed an interest in gastroenterology and oncology, in particular colorectal cancer. Motivated by this interest, he started his PhD in 2022 under the supervision of Barbara Bastiaansen and Evelien Dekker. His main focus is to push the boundaries of organ-preserving treatment strategies for patients with early-stage colorectal cancer by evaluating minimally invasive treatment strategies, exploring novel imaging modalities for improved nodal staging, and developing risk assessment tools to guide treatment decisions. |
Drs. Nanette van Roermund
MD, PhD Candidate
| After receiving her master’s degree in Medical Sciences, she worked as a resident not in training (ANIOS) at a large community hospital in the department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and Hepatology to increase her experience in clinical practice. Her interest in Gastroenterology was sparked during this time, leading her to start a PhD trajectory at the Colorectal Cancer Research Group in Amsterdam. Her PhD mainly focuses on improving colonoscopy quality, with the ultimate goal of reducing post-colonoscopy colorectal cancers (PCCRCs) within the Dutch colorectal cancer screening program. To achieve this, she is currently evaluating the molecular and clinical characteristics, most likely causes and factors associated with PCCRCs within the Dutch CRC screening program. |