Marthe Walvoort receives Van Marum Medal: making sugar science accessible

Professor Marthe Walvoort of the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry has received the KNCV Van Marum Medal 2026 for SlimSmullen, an initiative that teaches primary-school children about sugar, food and health in an accessible and playful way. The award recognises her contribution to making chemistry and science visible and relevant to society.

Making the science of sugar accessible

With SlimSmullen, Walvoort and her team help children understand what sugar is, where it occurs in food, and how it affects the body. The initiative provides ready-made lesson materials for primary-school teachers, developed together with nutritionists, teachers and knowledge-transfer experts.

Research on sugars in health and disease

Walvoort is Professor of Chemical Glycobiology at the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Her research focuses on complex sugar molecules and how their structure determines their function in health and disease, including how bacteria use sugars during infection.

About the KNCV Van Marumpenning

The KNCV Van Marumpenning (Van Marum Medal, in English) is awarded by the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV) to individuals or non-profit organisations that have made a significant contribution to showcasing chemistry, life sciences, biotechnology or process technology. The prize particularly values socially relevant and innovative science communication, including education, outreach and citizen science.

The award is named after Martinus van Marum (1750–1837), a physician and natural scientist known for making knowledge about chemistry and science accessible to a broad audience.