Maikel Wijtmans

Maikel Wijtmans is an Associate Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He holds a dual appointment at AIMMS (Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Materials and Systems). His research focuses on synthetic medicinal chemistry, photopharmacology, and GPCR receptor modulation, with notable contributions to fragment-based drug discovery and educational innovation in chemistry.

Education: PhD in Organic Chemistry from Vanderbilt University (2003), postdoctoral work at the Division of Medicinal Chemistry (Netherlands). Awards include the KNCV Teaching Award (2013) and the KnowVU Audience Award (2019) for educational innovations like 'Publish and Flourish.'

Research interests include designing ligands for histamine and chemokine receptors, leveraging biomass in drug discovery, and developing light-controlled small-molecule tools. He leads educational initiatives using IT to enhance active learning, such as blended learning and flipped classroom approaches.

Recent work includes optical control of β2-adrenergic receptors and photoswitchable ligands for ACKR3. Collaborations span international institutions, with publications in Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, ACS Omega, and European Journal of Organic Chemistry.