Inge Schadee: The valuable preparatory work

‘If needed, I will postpone my retirement to take part in the opening of the new electron microscopy facility in front of the VUMC poli. It is a great development. But after that, my work will be finished - I will not be actually working at the new facility.’

Inge Schadee-Eestermans is a research analyst with more than thirty years of experience in electron microscopy. 'During the last ten years, I became more involved in policy affairs, joined the works council, but my passion for electron microscopy did not fade away.'

In 2006, Schadee, initiated the plans for the new and centralized electron microscopy facility and made a large effort to realize these plans. She is proud to see that it is finally going to happen. ‘The foundations are already there, I am excited to see the developments that will be finished next year.’

From then on, 15 researchers and research assistants will be employed at the centre, offering their skills and knowledge to any VU research group, Neuroscience Campus Groups included.
'The equipment is extremely expensive and difficult to utilize. A central facility creates opportunities to exchange knowledge and gain efficiency.'
The VUmc is not the first academic medical centre to build a central electron microscopy facility. Comparable centres are found at UMC Utrecht, LUMC Leiden, ‘and these have proven their effectiveness.’

Parallel to the development of the plans for the electron microscopy facility, the idea for the Neuroscience Campus was born. Schadee was eager to contact Matthijs Verhagen, head of CNCR participating in the Neuroscience Campus, ‘because I was of the opinion that we needed each other to get our projects on track.’

Personally, Schadee is curious to see how new cooperation will evolve, as chair of the works council. ‘Will this work out as we projected? We will have to see in the coming years.’