KNAW appoints Marrink and Rosmalen as members

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has appointed Professor Siewert-Jan Marrink and Professor Judith Rosmalen as members of the Academy. Members of the KNAW, prominent academics from all disciplines, are chosen on the basis of their academic achievements. The KNAW now has around 600 members. Membership is for life. The new Academy members will be installed later this year.

Siewert-Jan Marrink

Professor of molecular dynamics at the Faculty of Science and Engineering

Siewert-Jan Marrink has gained international renown for his molecular simulations of biomembranes, the MARTINI computer model in particular, which can accurately predict the behaviour and the dynamics of complex biological systems. Marrink realized that the molecular structure of biomolecules need to be simplified enough to enable computer calculations of large collections of these molecules. However, the simplification should not go too far in order to retain important chemical properties of the biomolecules. Marrink's work has profoundly changed the field of membrane biology, and he has made several ground-breaking discoveries regarding biological membranes and the protein complexes embedded in them. The MARTINI software is also being used globally, even outside of the fields of membrane biology and biology altogether.

Judith Rosmalen

Professor of Psychosomatic Medicine at the UG/UMCG

Judith Rosmalen is a driving force in international biopsychosocial research on health. She focuses on persistent physical problems, caused by known medical conditions or by unknown causes. Her research makes use of long-term cohort studies such as Lifelines and TRAILS, which she has often helped set up. These studies map a unique combination of biomedical and psychosocial data related to health, and have proven to be highly valuable, for example in research on post COVID condition.