I am a PhD candidate, working in the laboratory of pediatric immunology (the lab of Berent Prakken) in Utrecht. Before my PhD, I did my bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and my master’s degree in Medicine (MD).

During my PhD I will combine a study on biomarkers and immunoregulatory mechanisms in juvenile dermatomyositis with projects on juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Part of the work on JIA includes optimizing and standardizing the protocols for isolation and phenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, synovial fluid mononuclear cells, plasma and serum of JIA patients. The aim is to assess and improve the comparability of samples between laboratories specialised in pediatric immunology, to facilitate both the collaboration and exchange of samples between centers.

On the scientific part I will use the phenotypic characterisation of immune cells from JIA patients to compare the cell types (T cells and monocytes, but also granulocytes and DC and their subsets) and cell frequencies in the synovial fluid of patients with different disease subtypes.

In the near future protocols and recommendations on cell isolation, cell storage and shipping will be published on the UCAN-U website. For questions on these topics, you can contact me by e-mail. J.Wienke@umcutrecht.nl