“When I was 17 years old, I went from Curaçao to the Netherlands to study biomedical sciences. After that, I specialized in infection and immunity in my master's degree. That has always been the most interesting subject for me. Now I'm almost done with my PhD research on 'cerebral organoids', or mini-brains. A groundbreaking research that Plons Fund has funded.”
Fake brains
“We needed a test model to research HIV in the brain. You can't just ask people with HIV for a piece of their brain, so we made stem cells from skin cells, and then brain cells from those stem cells. They grow in a clump and look a lot like real brains. The aim of my PhD research was to show that we can use this new model to gain a better understanding of HIV in the brain. That worked. I am proud to have contributed to that.”
HIV on Curaçao
“There are about 50 new HIV infections per year in Curaçao. That number is not decreasing, as we can see in the Netherlands. The problem is that many people get to the doctor very late. Then they already have AIDS. That's because there's still a lot of stigma. People do not dare to be tested because of this. Strangely enough, that was very different with the Covid tests. When you said you were getting tested, people thought you were very responsible. But when you say you're getting tested for HIV, people think you're irresponsible and do all kinds of things on the street. We have to change that. You are actually very responsible if you want to protect yourself and the people you sleep with.”
Better health care
“To tackle the stigma, and therefore the epidemic, it is important to financially support this HIV project in Curaçao. For example, people with HIV in Curaçao can now only get medicines from the pharmacy at the hospital. And then they get pills for only one month. For many of these people it is difficult that they have to go all the way to the hospital. If we can improve care, so that they can also collect their medicines from pharmacies closer to home, then this will encourage them to continue taking their medicines. This allows them to live a healthy life and no longer pass on the virus. It also immediately removes the stigma. Those are things you can implement right away. You don't need years in a lab for that. But money...”
The final results of the groundbreaking research into the mini brains will follow later this year. Will you help make our current project equally successful?
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