Els Atema Email & Phone Number

Wageningen, Ge, Nl

Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands

- Projectleider in diverse projecten, o.a.: * Prostaatkanker dashboard * Hervorming van de toxiciteitsregistratie * Opzet continumeting patiëntervaring- Coördinator Commissie Waardegedreven zorg- Coördinator landelijke indicatoren

Arnhem

- Kwaliteitscontrole van de dataset klinische- en behandelgegevens- Data analyse op interne en externe aanvraag- Implementeren en analyseren van PROMs en PREMs- Lid werkgroep data

Wageningen

Identify genomic variation causing differences in the biological rhythm in great tits (genotype-fenotype comparison).- identification of mutations in candidate genes, develop primers, PCR and data analyses, writing publicationAnalyses of the effects of light during the night on gene expression in great tit brain.- Reverse transcription RNA, qPCR candidate genes, data analyses

Ageing and the effects of increased workload in great titsA new measurement to quantify variation in quality and rate of ageing between individuals is telomere length. Telomeres are a piece of DNA at the end of chromosomes, and they protect the other DNA. In many species shortening of telomere length with increasing age was demonstrated. This shortening is accelerated by processes that also decrease life expectancy.In this project we discovered that telomeres of great tits differ from telomeres in humans and other bird species. They seem to have two classes of telomeres: long telomeres that do not shorten with increasing age and shorter telomeres that do shorten with age. So great tits have a group of ultra-long telomeres that behave differently, but why remains a mystery.In great tits we used the shorter telomeres as measurement for ageing. We found that great tits that are most successful in reproduction also better maintained their telomeres. This suggests that these successful great tits are of better quality. This effect was not observed yet, and more research into the causes could give fundamental insights about ageing.In a number of male great tits we increased the workload, because we equipped them with a backpack with the size of a transmitter. We found no long term effects of the backpacks on telomere shortening or fitness parameters, but there were some short term effects which suggested small behavioural changes. More often birds receive equipment such as transmitters, and with our results we show that these could be used without negative consequences on the long term in great tits.

Wageningen

Coordination and execution of field work in a population of great and blue tits on Vlieland.

Measuring the influence of habitat quality on telomere dynamics in the Black-tailed Godwit.

Measuring telomere length with Real-Time quantitative PCR (qPCR).This project has two goals:1) Validating the measuring of telomere length with qPCR for the zebra finch, a model species. Telomere length has been measured with pulsed field gel electrophoresis (TRF) in this species, and I will use this to calibrate the qPCR method. We will answer the question to which extend telomere length is heritable.2) Developing the qPCR method for Great Tits and Blue Tits. For this I collected blood samples at the island Vlieland, where Great Tits and Blue Tits are monitored for more than 50 years by the NIOO-KNAW, Heteren. This makes it an ideal population for studying ageing in free living birds.

Canberra, Australia

Relatedness and extra-pair paternity in the red-winged fairy-wren

Groningen, Netherlands

The physiology of ageing in the zebra finch

Msc, Behaviour And Cognitive Neurosciences

Vwo, Nature And Health