Boundless ambition and empathy: Linda Al-Hassany wins Lambers Student Excellence Award 2025

According to the WHO, migraine is the most debilitating condition among women under the age of fifty. Linda Al-Hassany: "Migraine is much more than an “annoying women's ailment” – it is a serious and stigmatised brain disorder that affects one billion (young) people worldwide and has an enormous impact on society and quality of life. Moreover, it is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the underlying mechanisms and hormonal influences of which are still not fully understood. With my research, I aim to increase this knowledge in order to ultimately prevent this cardiovascular risk and the onset of migraine as much as possible."

Impressive career

Linda has already had a very impressive career to date: she completed her research master's degree cum laude, with an average grade of 9.39, and was then appointed as a PhD student in the research group of Prof. Antoinette Maassen van den Brink, Professor of Neurovascular Pharmacology in the Department of Internal Medicine at Erasmus MC.

She combined her PhD research with her clinical rotations, which she also completed with honours before the summer. The fact that Linda has developed into an excellent young doctor is clearly evident from the assessments of her various clinical rotations, including her rotations in Internal Medicine at the Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis, which she completed with a 10.
But that's not all: she completed an Honours Class in Medicine and an Honours Summer School in Asia, was among the top 100 Dutch bachelor's students, obtained a double bachelor's degree in medicine and pharmacy, and combined this with various administrative and teaching positions.

Words of praise

Linda's supervisor praises her highly: "Her inquisitive mind and sharp interpretative skills contribute significantly to the quality of research within our department. Not only because of her excellent academic performance to date, but also because of her personality, work ethic, boundless energy, independence and scientific vision. […] Linda is a warm person, very loyal and committed to both her patients and her fellow researchers."

At the award ceremony, the winner emphasised the importance of communication and connection. Of genuine interest in the patient and really engaging in conversation with each other. Linda says of winning the award: "I am deeply honoured and incredibly grateful that my work is being recognised in this way. The Lambers Student Excellence Award is not only a personal accolade, but also recognition of the importance of translational research into migraine. It is a huge incentive and motivates me to continue my research with even more energy and dedication and to make an impact for patients!"

About the Professor H.W. Lambers Student Excellence Award
To encourage student excellence, the Professor H.W. Lambers Student Excellence Award is presented annually to an outstanding student who has performed exceptionally well during his or her studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Professor H.W. Lambers Student Excellence Award is made possible in part by the Erasmus Trust Fund.

And now?

Linda is currently working as a junior doctor in internal medicine at Reinier de Graaf Hospital (in combination with her role as co-supervisor). She recently heard that she has been accepted as a trainee doctor specialising in internal medicine. This means that a big dream has come true.