Profile

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Suzan Kors

My CV

  • Education:

    I am from the Netherlands – My primary school was in my home village (Hoogkarspel) and for secondary school I cycled every day to a nearby town.
    After that, I went every day with the train to Amsterdam, where I studied to become a primary school teacher. But after one year, I missed biology too much, so I decided to study instead Biomedical Sciences (at the University of Amsterdam). After my Bachelor/Undergraduate (2013-2016) I did a Masters, also in Biomedical Sciences (2016-2018).
    I am currently a PhD student/researcher at the University of Exeter.

  • Qualifications:

    We have a slightly different school/study system in the Netherlands.
    I finished 6 years of secondary school when I was 18 – I had final exams in Biology, Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Dutch, English, German and Arts.

    I have a Bachelor/Undergraduate and Masters degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Amsterdam.

  • Work History:

    I have always had small jobs in the weekends and summer holidays since I was 14 years old.
    I have done quite some different things: peeling flower bulbs, packing Mediterranean food, painting window frames, cleaning the houses of elderly, cleaning and administrative work at the transport company of my uncle.

  • Current Job:

    I am a PhD student in Biological Sciences at the University of Exeter, which means I do research in a lab.

    • About Me:

      I am a Dutch PhD student/researcher in Exeter. I love (audio)books, cooking and nature. I enjoy my kickboxing sessions during the week to do something completely different.

    • Read more

      I moved from the Netherlands to Exeter in 2017, where I did a research internship as part of my Masters. I wanted to go to the UK to improve my English. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to stay and to become a PhD student/researcher at the University of Exeter. I like to read books in my free time and often listen to audiobooks when I walk to the university (30 min) or while I am cooking. Two years ago a started with kickboxing to learn something new, which I am still enjoying a lot. I also like walking, travelling and meeting new people.

    • Read more

      I look at the different compartments in our cells. These compartments are called organelles. There are many different organelles. You may have heard of the nucleus, which stores our hereditary material (DNA). And mitochondria, which are sometimes called the powerhouses of the cell, as they give you energy.

      My favourite cell compartment/organelle is the peroxisome. If you use a microscope, peroxisomes look like small dots scattered throughout your cell. Peroxisomes work together with mitochondria to break down long fats, which are present in for instance peanut butter. Breaking down these fats gives your cell and you energy.

      Peroxisomes also make certain fats, for this they work together with another compartment, called the ER [endoplasmic reticulum]. These fats are important for you nervous system – it makes for instance the signal that goes from your brain to your foot, when you want to move it, faster. Patients with a peroxisomal disease have neurological problems: difficulty with movements, deaf etc.

      Because the peroxisomes work together with other cell compartments, they have to be in close contact with each other. In this way they can exchange information and material. These organelle/compartment interactions always remind me of hugging.

      Microscopy image of a cell. Blue: nucleus, Red: mitochondria, Green: peroxisomes. Source: Schrader 2019, SciTech Eu

      Cell organelle interactions always remind me of hugging. As they all work together, the interactions need to be well organised. Green: peroxisome, Blue: ER, Orange: (angry) mitochondria. My illustration is partly published in Silva et al. 2020, BBA Mol Cell Res

    • My Typical Day:

      I wake up early to enjoy my breakfast and walk to the university, while listening to an audiobook. When I arrive in the lab I take the liquid we grow our cells in out of the fridge, so that it can warm up, before I add it to the cells (or they become unhappy and stressed..!). Sometimes I add a drug to the cells to see what happens with the different compartments in the cell (e.g. do they interact more or less?). At the end of the day I tell my supervisor if I have any exciting results.

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      I would support the Zellweger UK family conference to help parents/carers understand the peroxisomal disorder of their child(ren) and the research we do to gain knowledge in the search for a treatment.

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        Curious, optimistic, motivated

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        Primary school teacher

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        Not that I can remember..

        What's your favourite food?

        I love sweet potato! – But if it needs to be a dish I would go for pizza. (And don’t forget dark chocolate :D)

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        1) I wish I could time travel. 3) I wish I could remember all the fantastic things I read and hear about.. anything. 3) I wish to see my family more often (they are in the Netherlands).

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