Femke Rutters, PhD

assistant professor

Femke Rutters is an assistant professor at the department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics of VU University Medical Center, where she leads the research line on ‘the role of stress, sleep and social jetlag in the development and progression of obesity and diabetes’. Femke obtained her Master degree in Medical Biology (2005; cum laude) at the Radboud University Nijmegen and her PhD in Human Biology (2009) at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Her PhD research was focused on the role of genetic, behavioral and endocrine factors in the development and regulation of body-weight.

After obtaining her PhD, she worked as a postdoc (2009-2011) at Maastricht University, supported by a personal grant of the research institute (Kootstra fellowship) on the role of sleep quantity, quality and timing on energy balance regulation. After successfully applying for an Intra-European Marie Curie Fellowship, she joined prof. Higgs’ lab at the University of Birmingham in the UK, where she studied the role of the brain in obesity, using EEG and fMRI.

In 2012, supported by an EGMO+ EU fellowship, she joined the department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics of the VUMC, to continue her work on the role of stress, sleep, circadian misalignment, sleep in the development of obesity and consequential metabolic disease. She have received several awards and project grants, and she was the president of the Dutch study group for diabetes Epidemiology (NSDEG) as well as the treasurer of the European Diabetes Epidemiology Group (EDEG). Currently, Femke  has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles, she teaches several courses in Medicine, including coordinating the prestigious Honours programme as well as coordinating several (EU) projects, including DIRECT, PRIORITY and the Hoorn studies.

 

As principal investigator
April 2016              DIRECT project on discovery of biomarkers for glycemic deterioration after the onset of type 2 diabetes, 4-year follow up measurement (personnel, supplies): €350.000
June 2014             EMGO+ EU Fellowship of the EMGO+ institute for Health and Care Research: research fellow for two years, starting September 2014, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: €100.000
June 2011             Intra-European Marie Curie Fellowship 2011 of European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme; Post-doctoral position for one year starting June 2011; Birmingham, UK: € 125.000
May 2009              Kootstra Talent Fellowship 2009 of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences; Maastricht University; Post-doctoral position for two years starting May 2009; Maastricht, the Netherlands: €55.060

 

As co-application
May 2017              EFSD INTENSE project to improve treatment adherence in people with diabetes mellitus: €500.000
Jan 2017               SUPREME NUDGE project combines effective nudging, pricing and individualized feedback strategies to promote and sustain health behaviors, especially in lower SES adults: €2.500.000
April 2016              Sleep Mood Sugar project on sleep and metabolic changes in type 2 diabetes patients (personnel, supplies): €15.000
June 2014             DIRECT project on discovery of biomarkers for glycemic deterioration after the onset of type 2 diabetes, 3-year follow up measurement (personnel, supplies): €200.000

Awards
June 2014             EMGO+ EU Fellowship of the EMGO+ institute for Health and Care Research
May 2014              Selected participant Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2014, Lindau, Germany
June 2011             Intra-European Marie Curie Fellowship 2011 of European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme
May 2011              Young Investigators Award 2011 from the SSIB
May 2009              Kootstra Talent Fellowship 2009 Maastricht University
May 2009              Van Walree travel award to visit the SSIB
May 2008              NASO travel award to visit the ECO
July 2007              Young investigators Award 2007 from SSIB