dr. V.R. (Valerie) Pouwels-Wiersma

Professional Experience:

2026-Current
Assistant professor and Staff Member, Department of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, UMCG, Groningen. Focus: Glycobiology, CAR T cell therapy, Lymphoma, Tumor immunology

2025-Current
Assistant professor and Project leader Veni grant (NWO, ZonMw) at the Department of Hematology/ Department of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, UMCG, Groningen. Focus: Glycobiology, CAR T cell therapy, Lymphoma, Tumor immunology

2023-2025
Project leader Off-Road Grant (ZonMw) at the Department of Hematology, UMCG, Groningen. Focus: Glycobiology,  CAR T cell therapy, Lymphoma, Tumor immunology

2017-2022
Project leader Young Investigator Grant (KWF) at the Department of Hematology, UMCG, Groningen. Focus: Galectin-9, Glycobiology, Autophagy, AML

2016-2017
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Hematology, UMCG, Groningen. Focus: Autophagy, Galectin-9, Immunology

2014-2016
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UMCG, Groningen. Focus: Cancer immunotherapy, CD27 Agonist, Ovarian Cancer

2010-2014
PhD student, Department of Surgery (section Tumor Immunology), UMCG, Groningen, Focus: Cancer (immuno)therapy, Galectin-9, TRAIL

Selected Grants and Awards:

2026
KRF grant: SUPER-CAR: Sialidase Utilization to Promote Effective Responses in CAR T cell therapy

2026
Winner ‘Vuurvliegen’. A science battle for children. CAR T-cell Therapy
Valerie Wiersma winnaar Vuurvliegen Groningen - C3              

2025
Tekke Huizinga Fonds: Case control study to explore the role of erythrocyte aberrations in the pathophysiology and treatment response of warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia

2024
Veni (NWO, ZonMw): SUGAR-CART: Specific Use of Glycan Adaptations to Reinforce Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells

2023
Off-Road Grant (ZonMw): Sugar rush: the impact of sugar on CAR T cell therapy

2018
ITN grant, MSCA training network, as co-applicant (main applicant and projectleader: Prof. E. Bremer). Immune DIREcted and Cancer-selective immunotherapy

2017
KWF Young investigator Grant (KWF): Exploring Galectin-9 and its signaling pathway as new tumor-selective cytotoxic drug in acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

2014
First price FIGON PhD competition: Kill and eat', a novel approach in cancer immunotherapy

Other:

2025-Current
Organizing committee ‘GlycoscienceNL’

2023-Current
Trainingcoordinator European Union Consortium ‘InnoCAR-T’,
Organizer Summer school

2018-2023
Trainingcoordinator European Union Consortium ‘I-DireCT’,
Organizer Summer school