The FAST Team

Since January 2022, Benien Vingerhoed-van Aken is Director of the Centre for Future Affordable & Sustainable Therapy development (FAST), a centre of expertise and collaboration, commissioned by the Dutch government (Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy). FAST strengthens the necessary connecting link between academia, industry and clinic on a number of spearheads including cell- and gene therapies, in order to get new treatments to patients as quickly as possible, at acceptable costs. Dr Vingerhoed holds a Medical Biology degree from the University of Utrecht and completed her PhD in experimental internal medicine at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. She worked for ten years in international clinical trial management of phase I-III studies in various diseases at the Center for Human Drug Research (CHDR), Organon and Centocor. Before joining FAST, Benien initiated the ZonMw Rational Pharmacotherapy Program at The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), and headed this department responsible for funding and monitoring approximately 200 research projects, patient registries and projects focussed on clinical practice. The mission of this funding program is to ensure that (existing) medication is deployed in a more effective, safe and efficient manner, to enhance the quality of pharmacotherapeutic care for patients and to improve cost-efficiency in care and/or for society.

Saco de Visser is the scientific director of FAST (Centre for Future Affordable and Sustainable Therapy development). He is a pharmacochemist, board certified Clinical pharmacologist and holds a PhD in medicine with his thesis; “A Question Based Approach to Drug Development” (Leiden University). He has 12 years experience in management, execution and funding of international clinical drug development studies at the Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR), Netherland Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) and Nycomed (currently Takeda). In 2009 he initiated the ZonMw funding programme (>220 M Euro) rational use of pharmacotherapy that focusses on improving (cost)effective, safe and effective use of medication (including stimulating drug repurposing). From 2014 he combined his position at ZonMw with positions as Director cluster development at Leiden Bioscience Park and Head of Education at Paul Janssen Futurelab Leiden (Leiden University Medical Centre). From 2020 he initiated the centre for Future Affordable and Sustainable Therapy development commissioned by both the Ministry of Economic affairs and the Ministry of Healthcare of the Dutch government. He is also member of the Platform Medicines for Society (Amsterdam University Medical Centre) supervising PhD projects in the field of rare diseases and drug repurposing. He represents the Netherlands in the Board of Governors of the European infrastructure for translational medicine (EATRIS) and active in the funders network of its repurposing platform REMEDI4ALL. Saco takes part in several (inter)national committees and working groups advising government, public and/or private parties on drug development and/or funding opportunities.

Marlous Kooijman is an advisor to FAST (Centre for Future and Affordable Sustainable Therapy development). She has 7 years of experience as a regulatory affairs specialist early development/CMC and scientific liaison officer at Intravacc. In multidisciplinary teams she has contributed to the development of various vaccines (both internal projects and as contract research for companies) up to phase I clinical studies. Marlous has a background in innovation management (Utrecht University) and pharmacy (Utrecht University) and she obtained her PhD on the interface of these sciences, studying the development and implementation process of alternatives to animal testing in drug development.

Mike Broeders is an advisor at FAST with a specialization in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), bringing over a decade of experience in genetic engineering and stem cell technologies. His PhD and post-doctoral research at Erasmus MC centered on using human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and CRISPR/Cas9 to develop advanced disease models, while also integrating (3D bioprinting) techniques to explore new therapeutic possibilities. Mike holds a Master’s in Life Science and Technology from Leiden University. Driven by a deep commitment to advancing science and improving patient outcomes through innovative therapies, he continues to apply his expertise at FAST, contributing to the development of groundbreaking therapies.

Since May 2024, Rosa Hart has been working as project manager at FAST. She graduated in 2023 with a master's degree in Biopharmaceutical Sciences in Leiden. During her studies, she contributed to research on the applications of hydrogels for breast cancer research. After her thesis, she pursued a specialization in Business Studies with an internship in organizing events on the impact of science. Besides, Rosa is a qualified teacher in chemistry in high school.

Since April 2024, Denise Verkade has been working as a management assistant at FAST, where she supports the team with various administrative and organizational tasks. She brings five years of experience from the pharmaceutical sector, where she worked in customer service and sales support.

Prof. Dr. Huibert (Huib) Pols is a Professor of Internal Medicine at Erasmus University Rotterdam. On October 1, 2006, he became Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of Erasmus MC. From 2013 until his retirement in 2018, he served as Rector Magnificus of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Currently he is the Chair of the Supervisory Boards of the Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation and of the St. Antonius Hospital (Nieuwegein, Utrecht, Woerden). In June 2024 he resigned after 6 years as Vice Chair of the Board at ZonMw.

Since 2009, Annemiek van Rensen has worked at INVOLV (previously known as PGOsupport), a knowledge and advisory organisation for patient organisations and their collaborative partners in health and welfare. Her area of expertise concerns patient involvement in scientific research and medicine development. At INVOLV, Annemiek advises patient organisations and research groups on realising effective and meaningful patient involvement. She also regularly provides courses and presentations on this topic. In 2018, co-initiated by her, the European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation, EUPATI, was brought to the Netherlands. From 2015-2022, Annemiek was also a member of the Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG in Dutch). On behalf of the CBG, as a team member, she collaborated on the creation of CIOMS Working Group XI's publication on Patient Involvement in the development, regulation and safe use of medicines (2022). Annemiek studied Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences in Leiden and obtained her PhD at Utrecht University.

Paul Korte, PharmD, works for the Dutch campus of Janssen, the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, and is responsible for external relations for the Janssen companies in the Netherlands. In this role, he is involved in various initiatives aimed at improving public-private partnerships in drug development for the benefit of patients, the Life Sciences & Health (LS&H) ecosystem, and the economy in the Netherlands. He has been with Janssen for 26 years, holding various national and international marketing, management, and executive positions. It has always been his ambition and personal drive to stay closely connected to developments in the Dutch biopharmaceutical ecosystem. He has actively done so through various public-private platforms and in industry association bodies, including serving as chairman of the Association of Innovative Medicines. Currently, he is a member of the Advisory Board of the Applied Sciences Domain Foundation, and chairman of the board of Biotech Booster Foundation, a nationwide public-private program to improve knowledge valorization in biotech.

Paul Smits (born 1957) studied Medicine at Radboud University in Nijmegen, where he also trained as a medical specialist (internist). He continued his career at Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), where he combined patient care, scientific research, and teaching. His clinical and scientific work focused primarily on clinical pharmacology, vascular medicine, diabetes mellitus, and related conditions and complications. In 1994, Paul Smits spent time at Harvard Medical School / Brigham and Women's Hospital (Division of Vascular Medicine) and the Harvard/MIT Center for Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In 1995, he returned to Nijmegen and was appointed Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Head of the Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology. Additionally, he worked clinically as an internist-pharmacologist. As a (co-)supervisor, he guided 38 PhD candidates in their research. He has been actively involved in several organizations over the years, including the Dutch Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Biopharmacy, the Dutch Pharmacology Society, the Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG), the Dutch Clinical Research Foundation, the Dutch Cardiovascular Alliance, and various NFU (Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres) working groups. In 2012, he joined the Executive Board of Radboudumc for two 4-year terms, first as Dean and Vice-Chairman and later as Chairman of the Board. After that, Paul Smits was the Medical Director of the Heart and Vascular Center at Radboudumc until june 2024. Since then he is officially retired. He is still a member of the Supervisory Board of Amsterdam UMC and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG in Dutch).