Expert panel: Roland Meesters (Universidad de los Andes)
Roland J.W. Meesters earned his PhD in Clinical and Bioanalytical Chemistry at Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands). During his doctorate, Dr. Meesters studied the ‘Application of MALDI-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for the quantification of small molecules in biomedical research’. During and after completing his doctorate he worked as senior scientist at the Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology and Clinical & Cancer Proteomics at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam (Netherlands). Last year he became assistant Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the chemistry department of Universidad de los Andes at Bogotá D.C. (Colombia).
In his current position, he is responsible for teaching analytical chemistry and other chemistry related courses, he is also the director of the GABIO research group (Grupo de Investigación en Química Analítica y Bioanalítica). Dr. Meesters research focuses on bioanalytical science and he has a specific interest in metabolomics, therapeutic drug monitoring and PK modeling and the role of metabolites in biological processes and disease states.
He is a specialist in the development and application of quantitative bioanalytical techniques particularly those involving LC in combination with mass spectrometry. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles in the last years. He currently resides in Bogotá D.C., and can be contacted at [email protected].
Short interview
1. What are your main areas of interest within bioanalysis?
Metabolomics, therapeutic drug monitoring and PK modeling and in the role of metabolites in biological processes and disease states. Microsampling methodology for above mentioned research using DBS and other Dried Matrix Spots such as plasma, urine and saliva.
2. Describe your current role in under 20 words.
Assistant Professor of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry and Director of Grupo de Investigación en Química Analítica y Bioanalítica (GABIO).
3. How many years of experience do you have in the bioanalytical field?
> 10 years.
4. What was the subject of your college major/undergraduate degree?
2 BSc, 1 MSc and PhD
BSc: ‘The fate of atrazine and simazine in the drinking water treatment process using
ozone and ozone/uv’.
BSc degree, Thesis: ‘Risk-assesment of Kathon in waterborne paint products’.
MSc degree: ‘Elucidation of the metabolism of the monoterpenes Linalool and p-cymene by recombinant human cytochrome P450 enzymes’.
5. What is your highest academic qualification?
PhD, Thesis: ‘Application of MALDI-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for the quantification of small molecules in biomedical research’.
6. How many countries have you worked in?
4 different countries: Germany, the Netherlands, USA and present Colombia.
7. How many languages do you speak?
Dutch, German, English, Spanish and a Dutch dialect.
8. How many papers have you published in total?
33 peer-reviewed.
9. Which conferences have you attended in the past year?
Past year none due my relocation to Colombia but recently I joined the HPLC 2013 congress in Amsterdam (Netherlands).
10. What social media tools do you use?
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
11. Coffee or tea? How many cups a day?
Both, Coffee> 5 cups a day, mainly at work. Tea 1 or 2 cups a day at home (preferably Twinings).
12. Make mine a … (favourite drink)
Good Belgium beer or Italian red wine.
13. If I weren’t a bioanalyst I would be… (alternative career)
Writer (novels) or physician.
14. You’d be surprised to know that I…
Like to play chess, listen to classical music and love to read literature.
