Our Team
The PREhealth team is filled to the brim with enthusiastic, motivated, and patient-oriented students, experts, and volunteers. Read about our story and see some of our faces below!
Our Story
The students involved in PREhealth are all in health-related programmes, including biomedical sciences, midwifery, and medicine. They started working as a team from the start of the 2020 edition of the Maastricht University Honours programme at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, under the supervision of associate professor Dr. Masoud Zamani Esteki, who heads the Laboratory of Cellular Genomic Medicine. Together, they embarked on a journey to improve accessibility to women's and pregnant people's health resources, especially focusing on patient groups that are often overlooked.
Moreover, we're looking to recruit enthusiastic volunteers to help support our work. If you're interested to learn more about this, please don't hesitate to shoot us a message.
We aim to become a legal foundation in the near future, to ensure sustainable engagement.
This team will soon be joined by experts in health, such as physicians in reproductive care. This way, we combine the fresh new insights of tomorrow's healthcare and research professionals with the established expertise of today's professionals.
One of our team members presented this project to an audience of experts in the field at the 2022 edition of the Next-Generation Reproductive Medicine workshop (Maastricht, NL). Watch the recording here!
Meet The Team
Our Current Team
Translators
Italian
Alessandra Papitto
German
Sophie Oppelt (alumnus)
Selina Voẞen (alumnus)
Urdu
Alizeh Ahsan (alumnus)
Turkish
Yasemin Kaya (alumnus)
Sena Nur Arduc
Dutch
Juliëtte Gossens
Dr. Masoud Zamani Esteki
Associate Professor & Project Supervisor
Masoud’s research lies at the intersection of classical genetics, molecular and developmental genetics, clinical genetics, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence. During the course of his (post)doctoral research, he invented methods to study genome instability in early human development with applications in the clinic, such as preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). Specifically, he has been developing, applying and translating integrative wet- and dry-lab approaches that uncover the genome’s allelic architecture in samples derived from many cells down to a single cell. Some of these technologies are now being used as routine diagnostic genetic tests. See Masoud's hope and vision for the field here.
Masoud leads the Cellular Genomic Medicine (CGM) group. CGM has several lines of active research centered around progressive innovation in Reproductive Medicine, e.g. development and application of novel methods for characterizing different molecular layers, their interplay and connectivity, and their impact on cellular identity and function, in particular at early stages of life. CGM constantly explores new avenues towards translating their research into the clinic.
Hi! I'm Juliëtte and I study Medicine at Maastricht University.
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I love learning new things in any field and I am a curious person. I like spending my time in many different ways, but some of my favourites are taking walks or hikes in nature and reading.
In the future, I hope to earn degrees in several fields to obtain a multidisciplinary background, and then combine that knowledge to make a difference on a global level.
Juliëtte Gossens
Web Design, Translator & Editor
Hi everyone! My name is Caro and I recently graduated from Maastricht University with a Bachelor`s degree in Biomedical Sciences. This year I plan to continue with the masters program molecular medicine in Innsbruck, located in the beautiful Austrian alps. I am determined to pursue a career in research, as I think science is crucial to improve our world and make it a better place for everyone.
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When I am not studying I love to travel the world, surf, snowboard and make new friends. I am happy to be part of the PREhealth team and looking forward to all upcoming projects!
Carolin Becker
Writer
​Hey everyone, I'm Alessandra Papitto and I'm a Biomedical Sciences Master student in Maastricht University. I come from Italy and I love to travel, doing sports and cooking. I hope to become a researcher in the academic field in the future, and contribute and help medical science progress.
Alessandra Papitto
Writer & Translator
Hi everyone! I am Naisha, a medical student at Maastricht University. I was born and raised on the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Maarten and I chose to leave my little paradise to come to the Netherlands to pursue my passion for medicine. I am friendly, hardworking, and passionate about various fields in medicine, one of them being obstetrics and gynecology, which is why I joined the Honours program at FHML and specifically the PREhealth team! I am also an active member of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) and an ambassador for the university. When I am not studying or participating in extracurricular activities, I love to travel and explore new places and cultures with my friends and family, have a fulfilling workout session at the gym, or have a picnic with my friends alongside the river Maas.
Naisha Lalwani
Writer
Hey everyone! I am Patricia, a second year medical student at Maastricht University. I am originally from Bucharest, Romania, where I lived and studied until deciding to pursue my dream career - becoming a doctor. I am passionate about the fast developing world of medicine, and more so about making medical information more accessible to everyone. Thus, alongside the PREhealth team I aim to help expecting parents find information more easily. I am also part of IFMSA, where I help organising events about various topics on medical education.
As a person, I am very motivated, curious, and communicative. I love travelling and discovering the cultures of the world, alongside my friends and family. I am also an avid gym enthusiast, so you can most probably find me at UMsports after classes ;)
Patricia Posea
Writer
Hi my name is Diyora and I am currently doing my bachelor in Medicine at Maastricht University! I come from Uzbekistan which is a beautiful country in Central Asia, however I grew up in the Netherlands. I would describe myself as a very passionate, friendly, hard working person. I am also someone who is very eager to learn both within the scientific field and outside of it and thus decided to pursue the Honours program where I became a part of the PREhealth team. I am also a part of the International Federation Medical Students Association where I advocate for various topics.
In my free time I enjoy dancing, going for a run, spending time with friends and family and making media content!
Diyora Rakhimova
Video Creator
Hey, I am Mariam, a medical bachelor student at Maastricht University. I come from a small island in the Caribbean called Curaçao, and I chose to leave my home to pursue my interest in medicine in the Netherlands. I am a very passion driven individual, and I like to seek opportunities to satisfy my curiosities and expand my range of knowledge; hence why I joined the Honours program and PREhealth. Alongside this, I am an active member of Pulse Education, specifically a student representative for the Management Team of Medicine.
In my free time I enjoy reading, traveling with friends and exploring all the amazing sights the world has to offer.
Mariam Hamadeh
Timeline Creator
Hi everyone, my name is Willemijn and I am currently in my second year of medicine at Maastricht University. My hobbies include travelling, hiking and learning new things! As a medical student, I believe that awareness about reproductive health is essential. I am delighted to be a part of the PREhealth team and look forward to the upcoming projects!
Willemijn Bosschaert
Timeline Creator
Hi! I am Eva, born and raised in Maastricht and in my 3rd year Midwifery/Obstetrics. After having finished Health Sciences at UM, I decided to follow my passion and started at the Academy of Midwifery. During my obstetric internships I see the need from pregnant couples for understandable and reliable information about pregnancy related topics, so I love to be part of the Honours’ project PREhealth and making a start in providing this.
When I am not at a delivery I love to be outside, running, walking etc. with friends and family and apart of the study I am also a student member of the ‘Academieraad Verloskunde’.
Eva Muijtjens
Timeline Creator
Hi! My name is Hannah, and I’m currently studying medicine at Maastricht University.
I decided to pursue medicine because of my curiosity about how the human body functions and my love for learning about a wide variety of topics. In the future, I'd like to make a difference for patients and strive to make healthcare more accessible. This is also why I am happy to be a part of the PREhealth team!
Besides my studies, I love spending time with friends, reading and pursuing all kinds of artistic hobbies like painting and knitting.
Hannah Claes
Video Creator
Hi everyone! My name is Shukeea Alberto and I am currently a second year International Track of Medicine Bachelor student at Maastricht University. I am from a small but diverse island in the Caribbean called Curaçao. Moving to the Netherlands allowed me to harbour my passion for Medicine and helping others, with a globalised international environment. When thinking about my future, I strive to become an all-inclusive and multifaceted medical professional. My goal is to ensure patients feel heard and understood within the healthcare system. For this reason, the PREhealth project fits beautifully with my interests in advocacy and health literacy.
In my free time I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, being creative and travelling the world!
Shukeea Alberto
Video Creator