Marit van Hooren

Marit van Hooren began her academic career at Wageningen University & Research, where she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nutrition and Health. During her undergraduate studies, she broadened her horizon with an exchange at the University of Bergen in Norway, studying at the Faculty of Biomedicine.

Specializing in Molecular Nutrition and Toxicology during her Master’s, Marit wrote her thesis on the effect of electrical pulse stimulation on myoblast development. She subsequently joined the Burn Research Lab in Beverwijk for her internship, where she investigated neutrophil ROS production post-burn injury. She continued to work in this department as a laboratory technician and researcher for several months.

In September 2025, Marit started as a PhD candidate at the Department of Surgery. During this collaboration between Maastricht University and Wageningen University & Research, she works alongside Niels Ruber to investigate intestinal permeability in cancer cachexia. Her research mainly focuses on modeling gut barrier dysfunction in cachexia using patient-derived intestinal and tumor organoids.

When not in the lab, you can find Marit experimenting with new baking recipes, hiking through nature, or planning her next trip.