Marc van Zandvoort

Professor

Prof. Marc A.M.J. van Zandvoort achieved his PhD degree in Biophysics at Utrecht University (1994) and worked as a postdoc at Universitá di Bologna and LENS institute, Florence (Italy). He returned to Utrecht University as a postdoc in 1996. In 1998, he moved to Maastricht University first as postdoc, from 2000 as assistant professor Biophysics. In 2007, he became associate professor at the department of Biomedical Engineering. In 2012, he moved to the department of Molecular Cell Biology. Currently, he is interim head of that department. In 2017 he obtained the chair 'Advanced Optical Microscopy' in Maastricht.

In 2009, he became professor Biophysics of Microscopy (part-time) at the Universitätsklinikum Aachen (Germany) and scientific leader of the Two-photon core-facility in Aachen.

He is board member of the conference series Focus on Microscopy, board member of the Dutch Society of Microscopy, and board member of the NL-BioImaging-AM initiative. He also is leader of the EuroBioImaging Node Maastricht.

His research currently zooms on the application of advanced optical microscopy (multi-photon, high-resolution 3D-STED microscopy, spectral microscopy) to biomedical cardiovascular and oncological questions. As an example, his group recently developed a method to measure mouse carotid plaque microvessel functionality using in vivo multi-photon microscopy. He has also done a variety of studies on bimodal (e.g., optical-MRI, optical-US) imaging. In combination with the techniques used, a variety of systems can be studied, ranging from artificial systems, via cells in culture (e.g., lamin substructure, mitochondrial network and substructure), to whole tissues, organs, and animals.

He has tutored both scientists with background in physics and biomedical research. He is an experienced teacher for a wide range of students (medicine, biomedical engineering, science students) and in a variety of roles (mentor, tutor, internship). His research group currently encompasses technicians, PhD students and postdocs in Maastricht and Aachen. Finally, he has been organising the TripleM PhD/Postdoc course and conference series in Maastricht.

Department of Molecular Cell Biology
Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht
PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht
T: +31 (0)43 388 13 61

2026
- Stiekema, M., van Gorp, C., Macamo, A., zur Hausen, A., van Zandvoort, M. A. M. J., Ramaekers, F. C. S., & Broers, J. L. V. (2026). Variable A-type lamin expression in Merkel cell carcinoma cell lines and its association with nuclear integrity. Scientific Reports, 16(1), Article 11070. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39775-y
- Ahmadian, S., Lindsey, P. J., Ummelen, M., Hopman, A., Van Zandvoort, M. A. M. J., Smeets, H. J. M., & Van Tienen, F. H. J. (2026). Fusion Between Control Mesoangioblasts and mtDNA-Mutant Myotubes Preserves Myotube Morphology and Mitochondrial Network Organization. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(3), Article 1357. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031357
2025
- Ju, J., Neuen, S. M. L., Zandvoort, M. V., Keulers, T. G. H., & Rouschop, K. M. A. (2025). Extracellular vesicles: cargo loading, degradation and secretory pathways, and their intersection with autophagy. Extracellular Vesicles and Circulating Nucleic Acids, 6(3), 360-385. https://doi.org/10.20517/evcna.2025.21
- Bierens, J., Severens-Rijvers, C., Hildebrand, S., van Zandvoort, M., Al-Nasiry, S., & Kapsokalyvas, D. (2025). Imaging and quantification of placental terminal villi microvasculature and nuclear characteristics in preeclampsia. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 308, 181-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2025.03.015
- Nagy, M., Bender, M., Poulter, N. S., Pike, J. A., Sickmann, A., Vondenhoff, S., Bielicka, N., van Zandvoort, M. A. M. J., Koenen, R. R., ten Cate, H., Stéphenne, X., Heemskerk, J. W. M., & Baaten, C. C. F. M. J. (2025). Formation of tight junction-like structures of zonula occludens 2 in platelet–platelet interaction. Research and practice in thrombosis and haemostasis, 9(3), Article 102845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpth.2025.102845
2024
- Al Enezy-Ulbrich, M. A., Belthle, T., Malyaran, H., Kucikas, V., Kuettner, H., de Lange, R. D., van Zandvoort, M., Neuss, S., & Pich, A. (2024). Fibrin Hydrogels Reinforced by Reactive Microgels for Stimulus-Triggered Drug Administration. Small, 20(42), Article 2309912. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202309912
- Rademakers, T., Manca, M., Jin, H., Orban, T., Perisic, L. M., Frissen, H. J. M., Rühle, F., Hautvast, P., van Rijssel, J., van Kuijk, K., Mees, B. M. E., Peutz-Kootstra, C. J., Heeneman, S., Daemen, M. J. A. P., Pasterkamp, G., Stoll, M., van Zandvoort, M. A. M. J., Hedin, U., Dequiedt, F., ... Biessen, E. A. L. (2024). Human atherosclerotic plaque transcriptomics reveals endothelial beta-2 spectrin as a potential regulator a leaky plaque microvasculature phenotype. Angiogenesis, 27(3), 461-474. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10456-024-09921-z
- Ahmadian, S., Lindsey, P. J., Smeets, H. J. M., van Tienen, F. H. J., & van Zandvoort, M. A. M. J. (2024). Spinning Disk Confocal Microscopy for Optimized and Quantified Live Imaging of 3D Mitochondrial Network. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(9), Article 4819. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094819
- Bischof, J., Fletcher, G., Verkade, P., Kuntner, C., Fernandez-Rodriguez, J., Chaabane, L., Rose, L. A., Walter, A., Vandenbosch, M., van Zandvoort, M. A. M. J., Zaritsky, A., Keppler, A., & Parsons, M. (2024). Multimodal bioimaging across disciplines and scales: challenges, opportunities and breaking down barriers. npj Imaging, 2(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44303-024-00010-w
- You, W., Knoops, K., Boesten, I., Berendschot, T. T. J. M., van Zandvoort, M. A. M. J., Benedikter, B. J., Webers, C. A. B., Reutelingsperger, C. P. M., & Gorgels, T. G. M. F. (2024). A time window for rescuing dying retinal ganglion cells. Cell Communication and Signaling, 22(1), Article 88. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-023-01427-3

Overview

Latest news & events

Fellowships EmbRACE consortium

21 May 2026

NWO grant for project 'Laminomics'

21 May 2026

Marc van Zandvoort

Professor