University of Groningen
Molecular composition and function of the spiral ganglion neuron peripheral synapse in mice
Reijntjes, Daniël Onne Jilt
DOI:
10.33612/diss.93524048
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Publication date: 2019
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Reijntjes, D. O. J. (2019). Molecular composition and function of the spiral ganglion neuron peripheral synapse in mice. University of Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.93524048
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Acknowledgements
Having spent more than four years on making this dissertation I am well aware that the publication of this thesis could not have been possible without the help of many people. The scientific process is wrought with struggles as experiments fail, articles get rejected and your results are inexplicable considering the hypothesis you started off with. The successful execution of science is and should therefore always be the result of collaboration with other scientists to create something of scientific value. In addition, a PhD student above all else needs perseverance, as in the end this is the only thing that will get you through your PhD. As doing a PhD often feels like an uphill battle where the hill gets steeper the closer you get to the end, the support of colleagues, family and friends is just as important to the final success of a PhD as is good science. Therefore I have many people to thank here at the end of my PhD road. First of all I would like to thank my supervisor Sonja. You were brave enough to take me on as your first ever PhD student. I think that together we have had some good times both inside of the lab as well as outside of it. In addition, I think we have accomplished some solid scientific work with a lot of merit to academia. Especially considering our inheritance of a severely neglected lab. I will never forget that we had to put in a new floor, improve the ventilation and beg, borrow and steal more lab supplies than I care to remember. I am proud of what we accomplished and also a little sad that, now we finally have the lab up and running, I am going to say farewell. However, I leave the lab in your capable hands and am fully confident that you will achieve great things.
I would like to thank my promotor Pim. I don’t think we have interacted nearly as much as I would have liked to as I have always been impressed by your great understanding of the ear and your enthusiasm for science. I have always enjoyed our discussions during various meetings. In addition, you were invaluable in the last stages of completing this dissertation.
Next, I would like to thank the members of my reading committee; Karen, Hannie and J.C., for your critical reading of this dissertation and the invaluable feedback and support that you have given me.
I would also like to thank all my fellow PhD students for making my time in the lab and the department more enjoyable. First of all I’d like to thank Nick, who helped me set up a lot of experimental techniques in the lab and was always up for a coffee and daydreaming about the fancy experiments that we could do if we had the time and the money. Next up is Dora. Good luck with inheriting a slightly more functional lab. Sina, Minke, Leanne, Jose, Julie, Elif, Punit, Floor, Shahin, and Eloise. Each of you have contributed greatly to making my time at the UMCG more enjoyable and I have learned much from you. Both how to deal with life as a PhD and occasionally even something about science when we could be bothered to talk about it. Good luck with your own dissertations, I know you will all do great. Enja and Nawal, I’d like to mention you separately since we started out together in the martinium. Thanks for helping me find my bearings around the UMCG when we were just getting started
140 Chapter 9. Acknowledgements and all the other things.
I would also like to thank all my other colleagues in the ENT department, the audiologists, secretaries, ENT doctors and everyone else that has worked with me in these past four years. In particular I would like to thank Marcel and Paolo for all their help with genetics and programming.
Next I would like to thank all the folks from the CDP and the UMIC, in particular Michel, Gerward and Klaas. You have all been extremely helpful and knowledgeable about handling mice and microscopes.
Up next I would like to thank all my friends for their support over the years. This includes the guys from my hockey team (Johannes, Marc, Lars, Pepijn, Kees, Bob, Alex, Gijs), Blue Toes members (Jaap, Bernadette, Jasmijn, Andre, Boy, Gijs), P&A teamies (Paris, Anouk, George, Veronique, Esther, Pim, Judith, Keith, Sander, Daphne, Alex, Michelle, Ellen, Wytse, Kuno, Isa) friends from early university days (Jeroen & Jeroen), the Sheffield crowd (Sinikka in particular) and everyone else that I picked up here and there. You have all enriched my life by taking me away from my troubles in the lab. In particular I would like to thank Leon Boschman who kept me sane these last few years by drinking alcohol with me in the land of hot chocolate milk.
I owe a great debt of gratitude to my parents and the rest of my family (in law) who have supported me unconditionally not just throughout my PhD but throughout my whole life. I have never really known which direction to go in with my life and my family has made sure that whatever direction I choose will be the right one. In addi-tion, no matter how crazy or ridiculous my plans were, I have always felt supported in figuring out for myself that sometimes there is a very good reason for not doing it my way.
Finally I would like to thank Kelly Sprenkeling for believing in me more than I could ever do myself. You make me want to be the best person I can be and I am looking forward to our great undertaking across the big ocean.
