Anouk Rijs

Prof. Anouk Rijs is a Full Professor of Analytics of Biomolecular Interactions in the Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). She holds dual appointments in the Faculty of Science and AIMMS. Her research focuses on developing novel analytical techniques like mass spectrometry, chromatography, and spectroscopy to study biomolecular interactions, with particular emphasis on neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s. She has received prestigious grants, including the VICI and VENI awards.

Education and Career Highlights:

• PhD (2003) from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam
• Postdoc (2003–2006) at UC Santa Barbara and Sandia National Labs
• Senior Scientist (2007–2011) at FOM Institute Rijnhuizen
• Assistant/Associate Professor roles at Radboud University

Research Interests:

• Peptide and protein aggregation mechanisms
• Development of 4D IR-MS technology for real-time molecular tracking
• Integration of mass spectrometry with spectroscopic techniques

Key Contributions:

• Leadership in international conferences (e.g., IMSC2022, IBBI2018)
• Editor-in-Chief of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
• President of the Dutch Society of Mass Spectrometry

Recent Articles: Focus on glyphosate-metal complexes, α-Synuclein oligomers, and tau protein dynamics, leveraging IR-UV action spectroscopy and ion mobility techniques.

Awards and Recognition: VICI laureate (2020), VENI Laureate (2011), Mildred Dresselhaus Guest Professorship (2015–2016).

Lab Activities: The Rijs group operates at the interface of chemistry and biology, advancing tools to combat neurodegenerative diseases through molecular-level insights.