Her research field is in Ecotoxicology. Obtaining realistic predictions and measurements of how existing and emerging chemical stressors potentially affect our natural environment and the organisms living therein is essential to provide the necessary tools to assess and mitigate ecosystem threats.

More information about Martina Vijver

PhD candidates

• 
  Surendra Balraadjsing PhD candidate
• 
  Evelien Castrop PhD candidate
• 
  Mirko Forastiere PhD candidate
• 
  Bartolomeus Häussling Löwgren PhD candidate
• 
  Philipp Kropf PhD candidate
• 
  Jesse Ouwehand PhD candidate
• 
  Martin van der Plas PhD candidate
• 
  Peiyan Qin PhD candidate / contract
• 
  Sofie Rasmussen PhD candidate
• 
  Kristie Tjokro PhD candidate
• 
  Paul Vriend Self funded PhD Candidate / Guest
• 
  Laura Julia Zantis PhD candidate

News

• 
  14 October 2024 A cocktail of chemicals in surface water is more toxic than each substance individually
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  26 September 2024 Leiden University researchers tackle global challenges with Una Europa-Africa grants
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  28 May 2024 Leiden biologists find nanoplastics in developing heart
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  29 February 2024 Nanotechnology promises to help farmers cut pesticide use – but could also make chemicals more toxic
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  01 September 2023 News but nothing new: many pesticides in Dutch swimming and natural waters
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  13 March 2023 Malformations in heart, eyes and nervous system: Nano-plastics disrupt growth
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  02 January 2023 'This is the very best course there is'
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  02 December 2022 Martina Vijver wins NWO Athena Award for outstanding female researchers
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  17 November 2022 The effect of nanoparticles on our planet
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  21 September 2022 Working together to make the institute flourish
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  26 July 2022 Martina Vijver new Scientific Director of the CML institute
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  29 June 2022 The hunt for nanoplastics is on
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  17 May 2022 Living Labs and ‘pavement plants’: Leiden University’s contributions to biodiversity
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  26 October 2021 Common insecticide linked to extreme decline in freshwater insects
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  21 September 2021 Faculty of Science kicks off the Academic Year with a vibrant talk show
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  08 September 2021 Living Lab moves: first new ditches dug
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  09 February 2021 Nanoparticles: shapeshifters that pass along the food chain and end up in the brain
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  09 December 2020 ERC Consolidator Grants for four Leiden researchers
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  09 December 2020 An ERC Grant to predict the toxicity of nanomaterials in the ecosystem
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  25 November 2020 A multi-million grant to keep the biological clock healthy
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  20 October 2020 An overall picture: the environmental impacts of a new solar cell technology
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  07 May 2020 Leiden one of ten BiodiverCities in Europe
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  01 April 2020 From field work by boat to excel sheets: how the corona virus is impacting education
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  10 March 2020 Three Leiden Science women in Leiden Top 50
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  24 October 2019 Plastic nanoparticles make larval zebrafish hyperactive
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  12 September 2019 Four years of women's network at the Faculty of Science
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  29 August 2019 Faculty of Science says goodbye to Dean Geert de Snoo
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  02 July 2019 Effect of insecticides on damselflies greater than expected
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  23 April 2019 Large-scale European project identifies risks of nanoparticles
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  16 April 2019 Residents and researchers explore plastic and psychology in the city
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  04 April 2019 Martina Vijver on nanoparticles at Paradiso's Science & Cocktails
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  05 March 2019 Vijver en Barmentlo in radio show Vroege Vogels about Living Lab results
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  19 November 2018 Media attention inaugural lecture ecotoxicologist Martina Vijver
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  12 November 2018 More realistic research needed on substances that enter the environment
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  06 September 2018 Investigating the impact of nanoparticles on the environment
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  04 September 2018 Faculty of Science opens academic year with responsibility call and nanoparticles
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  24 April 2018 Eric Eliel receives RISE prize for gender equality
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  26 March 2018 Spin-off from astronomy: measuring water pollution with your mobile
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  02 March 2018 Students wanted: Internalization and Effects of Nanomaterials in Freshwater Organisms
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  29 January 2018 Stans Prize 2017 for Davide De Mauro
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  11 January 2018 Martina Vijver appointed as professor of Ecotoxicology
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  09 November 2017 Shower of prizes at the World Cultural Council ceremony in Leiden
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  23 October 2017 Collaboration in the Nano era
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  13 October 2017 Come to the award ceremony of the World Cultural Council
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  13 July 2017 Nanoparticles: a wonder material with a downside?
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  15 June 2017 38 ditches of Living Lab officially opened
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  30 May 2017 WCC award ceremony: Distinctions for leading scientists
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  16 May 2017 School classes visiting the Living Lab
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  11 May 2017 Sound impact on fish populations
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  20 April 2017 Towards a liveable future
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  27 March 2017 Research on the effects of pesticides and manure on water quality in ditches
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  20 December 2016 Water quality tool for improved risk assessments launched
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  29 November 2016 Delegation of Holland Rijnland visits the Institute of Biology
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  14 November 2016 36 ditches as living lab for water quality
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  19 September 2016 Support the Living Lab for research on hazardous compounds in 36 ditches
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  15 October 2015 Combination of general and regional approach can give clean water
• 18 June 2015 Dr. Kiefte-de Jong and Dr. Bosker, Assistant Professors at LUC, both awarded LUF Awards
• 
  17 February 2015 Stans Prize for Mirthe Fonck

Former PhD candidates

• 
  Yuchao Song
• 
  Tom Nederstigt
• 
  Fan Zhang
• 
  Olivier Burggraaff
• 
  Qi Yu
• 
  Olivier Burggraaff
• 
  Bregje Brinkmann
• 
  Carlos Blanco Rocha
• 
  Pim Wassenaar
• 
  Juan Wu
• 
  Henrik Barmentlo
• 
  Marinda van Pomeren
• 
  Yujia Zhai
• 
  Alice Horton
• 
  Chimere Ohajinwa
• 
  T.T. Yen Le
• 
  Aletta Johanna Verschoor
• 
  Hao Qiu
• 
  Lan Song
• 
  Oleksandra Ieromina
• 
  Jing Hua
• 
  Yang Liu
• 
  Guangchao Chen
• 
  Carlos Blanco Rocha
• 
  Yinlong Xiao

Leader of the research line 'Chemical stressors and impacts on biodiversity'

Brief summary of research over the last years

Vijver's research field is in Ecotoxicology. Obtaining realistic predictions and measurements of how existing and emerging chemical stressors potentially affect our natural environment and the organisms living therein is essential to provide the necessary tools to assess and mitigate ecosystem threats. While the basic idea is straightforward, attaining reliable estimates on the fate, the actual uptake and effects of chemicals on species and their overall effect on ecosystems has proven to be notoriously challenging. This research line is aimed is to predict the impact of environmental stressors across increasing environmental complexity and spatiotemporal scales.

Vijver's passion is to work on these innovative challenges in which some aspects are a must for her: that is a. field representative setting and accounting for dynamics is key, b. the whole chain of fate and behaviour, uptake and elimination, responses should be considered, c. preferably quantitative, d. integrative. Data collection will be done following different approaches, ranging from lab-derived experiments, to outdoor mesocosms, to in situ experiments in the field, monitoring data and secondary data analyses. She applies an ecosystems approach in part of our work, next to work at the individual species level, and maintain  mechanistic work using sub-cellular and molecular level (see this link) using diverse communities and ecosystems. For all research, models are derived using the topic specific knowledge on processes and mechanisms.

Focus currently: engineered nanomaterials, pesticides, metals, microplastics

Publications

Activities