Junior committee Dutch Parkinson Scientists

Olav

Olav Siemeling

Chair

My name is Olav Siemeling, and since this year I have been the chair of the Junior DPS committee. Since 2023, I had served as treasurer prior to this role. I have been working as a physician for several years, initially at Isala Hospital in Zwolle. I still work there part-time, but I now spend most of my time on my PhD research at the UMCG. My research focuses on a clinical trial exploring the potential disease-modifying properties of the drug ambroxol in Parkinson’s patients with a GBA1 mutation. The combination of conducting clinical research and working in the hospital is both challenging and very rewarding. With the Junior DPS, I hope we can encourage young researchers to remain engaged in science and inspire them in how they shape their own path within it.

Oxana Garritsen

Secretary

My name is Oxana Garritsen, and since the foundation of the Junior DPS committee in January 2022, I have been happily serving as the committee’s secretary. Since 2021, I have been working on my PhD project at the UMC Utrecht, studying the development of the dopaminergic system. I focus on identifying very early changes that may be relevant to the onset of Parkinson’s disease, with my current work centered on dendrite bundling and the role of microglia. In part due to my background in Biology and Molecular Neuroscience, I really enjoy combining fundamental curiosity with research that could ultimately improve our understanding of Parkinson’s disease. Through the Junior DPS committee, I hope to connect young researchers and help bridge the gap between clinical and fundamental science,  because in my personal opinion, it’s this interplay that can really be of great value for  Parkinson’s research in the Netherlands.

Oxana
Emile

Emile D ‘angremont

Treasurer

Hi! My name is Emile d’Angremont and I am the treasurer of the Junior DPS committee. I am Technical Physisian by training and I did my PhD in Groningen, where I investigated the cholinergic system in Parkinson’s disease. Currently I am a postdoc in the Amsterdam UMC, where I focus on the prediction of disease progression based on advanced MRI, using computational models. Besides that, I coordinate the initiation of the Netherlands Parkinson Cohort and I am part of the core team of the Parkinson working group of the international ENIGMA consortium. I am strongly convinced that we advance science most when we collaborate as much as we can, and it makes it a lot more fun along the way! Hope to speak to you soon in one of our events 🙂

Natasja Deshayes

PR

Hi! My name is Natasja Tieleman-Deshayes. I am 29 years old and live in the charming city of Amersfoort.

Currently, I am in my third year of my PhD in the research group of Prof. Wilma van de Berg. My project is centered on the amygdala – often referred to as the brain’s emotion center – to investigate which of its subregions are vulnerable to protein accumulations, such as Lewy bodies, in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease - and why.

Although my research is not directly clinical, I hope it will contribute to a better understanding of the amygdala’s role in these disorders.

Since June 2024, I’ve been an enthusiastic member of the junior DPS committee, in which I fulfill the task of PR.  My main motivation for joining this committee is not only to connect with other young Parkinson’s researchers, but also to stay close to what truly matters: the patients and their needs.

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Manon

Manon Mijnsbergen

DPS conference

My name is Manon Mijnsbergen, I’m 25 years old and live in Amsterdam. I have a background in Population Health Management and began my PhD in September 2024 at the LUMC in Leiden. My research focuses on measuring physical activity (both during the day and night) using wearable sensors in a large cohort of people with Parkinson’s disease (Profiling Parkinson's Disease (ProPark) cohort). I joined the junior committee of DPS in 2024, which has been a great opportunity for me to connect with other researchers in the field. What I enjoy most about being part of the committee is the chance to engage with other researchers working on a variety of topics within Parkinson’s disease. Within the committee, I primarily focused on organizing the 5th DPS conference in October 2025 in Leiden.

Ties Gaveel

General member

I’m Ties Gaveel, 31, and I live in Nijmegen. I have a background in physiotherapy and clinical health sciences. I worked several years as a physiotherapist, mainly with people with neurological or cognitive conditions, and as a ParkinsonNet therapist. Then I came across the exciting opportunity to dive into research and contribute to improving the care for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Since April 2024, I have been pursuing a PhD at the Radboudumc Parkinson Expertise Centre, where I research the effects of an integrated lifestyle intervention for people with Parkinson’s disease (SENSS project). I am passionate about lifestyle and really enjoy the opportunity to integrate this into my work.

This year, 2025, I joined the Junior DPS committee as a general member. I enjoy helping connect researchers across the Netherlands, encouraging them to look beyond their own projects and creating opportunities to share experiences and collaborate outside their research groups.

Ties