Master's student Nicole ter Laak wins KNMP Studentenprijs 2023
Biopharmaceutical sciences master's student Nicole ter Laak has won the KNMP Studentenprijs 2023. She wins the prize for her research project on dosing guidelines of antibiotics in newborn babies with a very low birth weight for gestational age.
Ter Laak was very happy, but also surprised when she heard she had won. 'Anne van Rongen, researcher at the LACDR, had just told me that she had nominated me for this prize, but the chances of me winning seemed very slim.Not much later, I received notification from KNMP that I had won the prize, incredibly nice!
Study of gentamicin excretion by the kidney in newborn babies
The master student investigated the differences between how babies with very low birth weight for the gestational age gone through (Small for Gestational Age neonates) and babies with normal birth weight for the gestational age gone through (Appropiate for Gestational Age neonates) in the excretion of the antibiotic gentamicin by the kidney. She developed a model showing that after the first five days of life, SGA neonates have a higher excretion of gentamicin than AGA neonates because excretion increases faster after birth in SGA neonates. It is therefore necessary to include this group in dosing guidelines for gentamicin and other drugs excreted by the kidney.'
Prize money of 1,000 euros
By winning the KNMP Studentenprijs, Ter Laak wins 1,000 euros. She does not yet know what she will do with the prize money. 'For now, the money will go into the savings account until I find a good use for it.'
KNMP Studentenprijs
KNMP, the Royal Dutch Society for the Advancement of Pharmacy, presents the KNMP Studentenprijs annually during its Autumn Congress. Professors and lecturers can nominate students for this award because of their excellent study results, motivation and commitment. The award includes prize money of 1,000 euros.