Everyone understands the importance of our mission
Loes
Immunology Senior Technician
After finishing her Biotechnology studies, Loes Verhoog joined Merus as an immunology technician. Two years into her work, she shares her experiences. ‘During my first project, we could see the antibodies working well on the cancer cells in the lab. I consider that a modest milestone.’
New techniques
‘We work based on well-structured project plans,’ Loes says. ‘What do we want to achieve, what steps do we need to take? There is also a pleasant degree of freedom. You can figure out how you can best reach your goals. Of course, not everything goes the way you expect. Then you want to find out why. You’re always learning.’
In her current project, many different techniques are involved. ‘You are never doing the same activity or experiment for too long. If you’re going to use a new technique or do a new kind of experiment, you always do it under supervision first. Then you are trained to do it independently.’
Open and friendly
‘The culture is very open and friendly. There is a nice mix of people in terms of age, experience, and cultural background. On our pre-clinical team, we have colleagues from France, China, Germany, and Italy, for example. We also collaborate with our colleagues in the US.’
‘There are always end-of-month drinks. We also have a group chat where we suggest activities and invite each other. And we often have lunch together. I enjoy hearing from others what they are up to. We’re all striving for the same goal, after all.’
Meaningful work
‘I have always been interested in diseases and the immune system,’ Loes tells us. ‘I’m fascinated by what a body can do to heal itself, and where it could use some help. It’s why I studied Biotechnology and what appeals to me about our work at Merus. You are dedicating your attention to experimentation with a goal of developing a new medicine, looking forward to evaluating if it can potentially help patients and if it can eventually become available to them.’
Loes obtained her Master’s degree at Wageningen University, specializing in cellular and molecular biotechnology. She joined Merus in August 2021. ‘I found out about Merus via LinkedIn. When I read about its mission of closing in on cancer, I was interested right away. Everyone I talk to about Merus immediately understands the importance of our mission.’
A great compliment
‘As an immunology technician, I am part of the team that works with cancer cells. Every week, I prepare and perform one or two experiments and analyze the data afterwards. I present my findings during weekly project meetings.’
Within six months after starting, Loes also became responsible for one of the laboratories. And that was not the only change in a short period of time. ‘After a year and a half, I became a senior technician. That was a surprise and a great compliment.’
“Step by step, we are closing in on cancer.”
Interested in joining us on our mission?
Have a look at our vacancies.
After finishing her Biotechnology studies, Loes Verhoog joined Merus as an immunology technician. Two years into her work, she shares her experiences. ‘During my first project, we could see the antibodies working well on the cancer cells in the lab. I consider that a modest milestone.’
Meaningful work
‘I have always been interested in diseases and the immune system,’ Loes tells us. ‘I’m fascinated by what a body can do to heal itself, and where it could use some help. It’s why I studied Biotechnology and what appeals to me about our work at Merus. You are dedicating your attention to experimentation with a goal of developing a new medicine, looking forward to evaluating if it can potentially help patients and if it can eventually become available to them.’
Loes obtained her Master’s degree at Wageningen University, specializing in cellular and molecular biotechnology. She joined Merus in August 2021. ‘I found out about Merus via LinkedIn. When I read about its mission of closing in on cancer, I was interested right away. Everyone I talk to about Merus immediately understands the importance of our mission.’
A great compliment
‘As an immunology technician, I am part of the team that works with cancer cells. Every week, I prepare and perform one or two experiments and analyze the data afterwards. I present my findings during weekly project meetings.’
Within six months after starting, Loes also became responsible for one of the laboratories. And that was not the only change in a short period of time. ‘After a year and a half, I became a senior technician. That was a surprise and a great compliment.’
“Step by step, we are closing in on cancer.”
Interested in joining us on our mission?
Have a look at our vacancies.
New techniques
‘We work based on well-structured project plans,’ Loes says. ‘What do we want to achieve, what steps do we need to take? There is also a pleasant degree of freedom. You can figure out how you can best reach your goals. Of course, not everything goes the way you expect. Then you want to find out why. You’re always learning.’
In her current project, many different techniques are involved. ‘You are never doing the same activity or experiment for too long. If you’re going to use a new technique or do a new kind of experiment, you always do it under supervision first. Then you are trained to do it independently.’
Open and friendly
‘The culture is very open and friendly. There is a nice mix of people in terms of age, experience, and cultural background. On our pre-clinical team, we have colleagues from France, China, Germany, and Italy, for example. We also collaborate with our colleagues in the US.’
‘There are always end-of-month drinks. We also have a group chat where we suggest activities and invite each other. And we often have lunch together. I enjoy hearing from others what they are up to. We’re all striving for the same goal, after all.’