CURRICULUM VITAE

De Wit studied Biology (cum laude) at the VU. In 2000 she finished her PhD research in the Geuze/Klumperman group at UMC on ‘Formation of synaptic vesicles in neuroendocrine PC12 cells’. Part of her PhD research was performed in the group of Regis Kelly at UCSF.
At the start of her post-doc career she received a VENI-NWO grant and used this funding to set-up a unique docking assay to investigate the molecular mechanisms and spatial organization of secretory vesicle docking in primary cultured mouse (mutant) chromaffin cells. De Wit succeeded to perform a systematic analysis of the genetic cascades that orchestrate docking of secretory vesicles at their target. To dissect vesicle docking principles, she applied EM combined with secretion assays in collaboration with members of the group of Dr. Neher (Göttingen, Germany) and Dr. Südhof (Dallas, USA). Her successful approach resulted this year September in a publication in Cell. Besides major contributions to existing research lines her research also opened opportunities for new complementary approaches. This year De Wit initiated the ‘BrainTrain’ consortium that was granted by the EU to train 15 PhD students at their start of their scientific career amongst different universities/enterprises in the EU and Japan. In addition, De Wit coordinates the EM core facility of NCA. She knows her position: ‘For the NCA research groups we will be a last stop after they have performed all their other experiments: electron microscopy opens a world you cannot see in any other way.’