About me
After finishing high school (Stedelijk Gymnasium Schiedam) summa Cum Laude, Sadaf started her medical training at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam through a pre-allocated ticket obtained during the Junior Medical School (JMS). In parallel to her medical BSc, Sadaf started a BA in Philosophy of Medicine. During her bachelor’s studies, Sadaf participated in two honours programmes and was active in multiple boards, including in the Rotterdam Chapter of the Dutch Surgical Society for Medical Students (VCMS), of which she was the founding chair. Additionally, Sadaf was a board member of the Dutch and later the International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO), culminating in the organization of IPO 2017 in Rotterdam, hosting >200 philosophers.
After finishing her BSc in Medicine (valedictorian) and her BA in Philosophy (cum Laude), Sadaf did a summer internship at the INI Hannover under prof. Samii. Sadaf then continued to complete three master’s degrees in a two-year time period: a Research Master in Neuroscience, a MSc in Health Economics, Policy & Law (HEPL), and a MA in Philosophy (cum Laude), while being a member of the Young Medical Delta board. She was awarded the prof. H.W. Lambers Prize (best student with multiple cum Laude master’s degrees), and the prof. Jan Brouwer Prize of the Dutch Royal Academy of Sciences (KNAW) (best philosophical master’s thesis) upon completion.
Currently, Sadaf is a MD/PhD-Candidate in the departments of Neuroscience and Neurosurgery at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam. Sadaf’s research interests lie in applied neuro-technology, and include neuromodulation for Spinal Cord Injury and functional Ultrasound (fUS)-imaging. During her first year as a PhD, Sadaf spent a 3-month period in the lab of Prof. Courtine at the EPFL, Campus Biotech, Geneva.
Sadaf aims to continue conducting research which is neuroscientifically sound, technologically fueled and clinically relevant, while always interrogating the philosophical implications of her work.
Curriculum Vitae
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2021-present MSc Medicine, Clinical rotations, Erasmus University Rotterdam
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2018-present MD-/PhD-Candidate, Erasmus University Rotterdam
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2016-2018 Research Master in Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre
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2016-2017 Pre-master Courses in Biomedical Engineering, Technical University Delft
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2016-2017 Master in Philosophy, Erasmus University, cum Laude (8.3)
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2016-2017 Master in Health Economics, Policy and Law (HEPL), Erasmus University
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2014-2016 BA in Philosophy of Medicine, Erasmus University Rotterdam cum Laude (8.9)
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2013- 2016 BSc in Medicine, Erasmus University Rotterdam (8,0), valedictorian
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2014-2015 Member EUR Erasmus Honours Programme
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2013- 2014 Member Honours Class Erasmus
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2012-2013 Junior Medical school (JMS) Erasmus MC
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2007-2013 Gymnasium (grammar school), (summa cum laude 9,1).
● 2018-present PhD-candidate dept. of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, Erasmus MC
Subject: Applied neuro-technology, including neuromodulation for Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and functional Ultrasound (fUS)-imaging
● 2019 Research Fellowship in the EPFL Courtine-group, Campus Biotech, Geneva Switzerland (3 months)
● 2018-present Co-applicant of CUBE (Centre of Ultrasound and Brain imaging at Erasmus MC), awarded with a NWO-Groot grant
● 2016 Clinical Internship International Neuroscience Institute, INI, Hannover, Germany under supervision of prof. dr. Majid Samii, neurosurgeon of the year in 2014
● 2014-2016 Student-researcher dept. Cardio-Thoracic surgery Erasmus MC
● 2016-2017 Editor for Erasmus Journal of Medicine (EJM)
● 2015-2017 Editor for Erasmus Student Journal of Philosophy (ESJP)
Conference Participation
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2021- Oral Presentation
Using functional ultrasound (fUS) for real-time functional and vascular delineation of brain structures with micrometer-millisecond precision
– European Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ESSFN) (2021), Marseille -
2021 – Oral Presentation (online)
Fully integrating functional ultrasound (fUS) into the onco-neurosurgical operating room: towards a new real-time, high-resolution image-guided resection tool with multimodal potential
– European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) (2021) -
2020 – Oral Presentation (online)
A Novel Target for Neuromodulation in Spinal Cord Injury: Dorsal Root Ganglion-Stimulation Can Evoke Weight-Bearing Motor Responses in Patients with Chronic Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury
– American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) (2020) -
2020 – Poster Presentation (online)
Using functional Ultrasound (fUS) to map brain functionality and tumor vasculature with micrometer-millisecond precision
– Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) (2020) -
2020 – Oral Presentation
Phenomenological embodiment in
patients with spinal cord injury receiving
temporary neural implants: a qualitative
study into patient perception.
– Conference on Body Image(s), University of Konstanz -
2019- Oral Presentation
Functional Ultrasound (fUS) During Awake Craniotomy Tumor Removal Surgery for Intra-operative Functional Brain and Tumor Mapping
– IEEE Int. Ultrason. Symp. IUS. (2019), Glasgow -
2019- Oral Presentation
Functional Ultrasound (fUS) During Awake Craniotomy Tumor Removal: Revolutionizing Intra-operative Functional Brain and Tumor Mapping
-WSSFN (2019), New York -
2018 – Oral Presentation
Phenomenological Embodiment in Neuro-Engineering Endeavors: Philosophical Considerations and Practical Implications.
– Phenomenology of Medicine and Bioethics Congress (2018), Stockholm -
2018- Poster Presentation
High resolution functional Ultrasound (fUS) in mice: the next-generation neuro-imaging modality with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution.
– FENS 2018, Berlin, Germany
Invited Lectures
- 2021 Keynote Lecture INTENSE Consortium Meeting on Neurotechnology
- 2021 Workshop MedTech IFMSA Rotterdam
- 2021 Workshop Dutch Philosophy Olympiad 2021
- 2018 Workshop Study Skills EUR Women’s Business Network (WBN)
Grants
● 2019 IEEE IUS 2019 (Glasgow, Scotland) (Student Travel Grant)
● 2019 MRace full Grant for ‘fUS in Clinical Neurosurgical Applications’
● 2018 NWO-Groot grant for CUBE: Center for Ultrasound Imaging @ Erasmus MC
News
● 2018 MRace Pilot Grant for ‘fUS in Awake Craniotomies’
● 2018 Gerrit-Jan Mulder Travelgrant
● 2015 Study- and Researchgrant by Stichting Dira for best researchproject of the Junior Medschool 2010-2015
Prizes
● 2020 Pieter van Foreest Prize for best research paper in the Medical Humanities
Announcement
News
● 2020 FENS-EJN Image Competition
“Finding The Brain Tumor’s Achilles Heel” by Sadaf Soloukey et al. 2020, was selected as one of the 15 images to be displayed in the FENS new website.
News
● 2018 Prof. Lambers Prize of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, travel grant awarded during the opening of the academic year to the best masterstudent with multiple, cum laude master degrees.
Announcement
● 2018 Jan Brouwer Scriptieprijs 2018: National Prize (2000 EUR) for the best masterthesis in the category of philosophy, awarded by the ‘Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen’.
Announcement
Interview
● 2013 Gerrit-Jan Mulder prize of the Junior Medical School for research into ’Environmental Enrichment for laboratory mice’(dept. of Neuroscience).
● 2013 Science congres Leiden University: 1s t place for best researchpaper
● 2013 PWS-competition Twente Academy: audience prize
● 2013 PWS-competition Van Melsen in Nijmegen: nomination
● 2013 National Philosophy Olympiad: 1st place.
● 2012 International Philosophy Olympaid in Oslo: Honorable Mention.
● 2012 National Philosophy Olympiad: 2nd place.
● 2012 Preisträger Prämienprogramm (exchange programme German Ambassy).
Teaching
● MSc Clinical Technology: lectures and workshops on anatomy and surgical innovation
● Minor ‘Van Neuron tot Vrije Wil’: lectures on the free will debate
● Minor ‘The Computational Brain’: lectures on Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs)
● BSc Medicine: Wet-lab courses neuro-anatomy
● 2019-2021 BKO Academic Teaching Qualification
Boards and Committees
● 2021- present Board Member Vereniging voor Filosofie en Geneeskunde (VFG)
● 2019-2021 Memer of the Editorial Board of Erasmus Magazine (EM)
● 2019-2020 Member of the Brain Awareness Week (BAW)-committee in Rotterdam
● 2017-2018 Board Member for Young Medical Delta. The goal of YOUNG Medical Delta is to create a platform for students, young researchers and young professionals in life sciences, health and technology.
Website Young Medical Delta
● 2016-2017 Secretary, Board-Member of the Dutch National Philosophy Olympiad (NFO)
Website NFO
● 2016-2017 Secretary, Board-Member of the International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO) 2017 Rotterdam
Website IPO
● 2016-2017 Education Officer, VCMS MasterAcademy, the Netherlands
Website MasterAcademy
● 2015- 2017 Student-Member of the Erasmus University Diversity Steering Committee
● 2015-2016 Erasmus MC Representative University Council 2015-2016
● 2014-2016 Founding Chair of the first Dutch Surgical Society for Medical Students (VCMS).
Extra-curricular surgical education, congresses and masterclasses for bachelor students in Rotterdam
Website VCMS Rotterdam
● 2014-2015 Member MFVR CarreerWeek Committee
● 2013-2015 Member studytrip committee Erasmus MC Honours Class
● 2013-2014 First Year Representative MFVR
Certificates
● 2019-2021 BKO Academic Teaching qualification
● 2016 BROK Course for Clinical Research
● 2017 Article 9 course for experimental animal research
● 2013 DELF B2 (French Language).
● 2013 Goethe Zertifikat C1 (German Language), score 86,5%.
● 2013 Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE), C2 score A (87%).
● 2012 Goethe Zertifikat B1 (German Language)
● 2011 Cambridge First Certificate (FCE), B2 score A (92%).
Other Work Experience
● 2017-present Children’s Book Author for Rose Stories
● 2016- 2018 Founding-coordinator of ‘SHOC’; Student-team responsible for development of the new master curriculum and internships for the department of Surgery.
● 2015-2016 Coordinator Mini Medical School, Honours Class, Erasmus MC.
● 2015-2019 Blogger for Arts in Spe
● 2015-2018 Teacher trainer Mathematics SSL Leiden, Examencursus
Training and guiding teachers in teaching high school Mathematics.
● 2015-2016 Young writer for www.abcyourself.nl, site of publishing house Lemniscaat.
● 2015 Guestcolumnist for Arts en Auto
● 2012-2014 Columnist for ‘MoodieZ’, magazine for youngsters