New director appointed to lead the iCANDOC pilot programme
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mariike Kuijjer, who took on the role of Director of the iCANDOC Precision Cancer Medicine pilot starting on August 1, 2025.
The role involves directing the execution of the iCANDOC doctoral pilot programme by working closely with iCANDOC stakeholders, including the Steering Board of the iCANDOC at the University of Helsinki, the Working Group, the National iCANDOC Steering Group, iCANDOC staff, as well as iCANDOC students and iCANPOD postdoctoral programme participants.
About the new director
Mariike Kuijjer, PhD, was appointed Associate Professor in Cancer Data Science at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki at the beginning of 2025. The position is part of a recruitment initiative by the iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship Project. She also leads the Computational Biology and Systems Medicine group at the Centre for Molecular Biosciences and Medicine Norway (NCMBM).
Kuijjer brings experience from several doctoral training systems across Europe. She completed her own PhD within the 4-year doctoral program in the Netherlands, and as a Group Leader at the University of Oslo, she has supervised PhD candidates within the Norwegian 3-year system. In addition, she has served as an examiner and committee member for doctoral defenses in the Nordics and other European countries. She hopes that the perspectives gained during her career will provide useful input as the pilot continues to evolve.
Vision for the pilot
When asked about her vision for the pilot, Kuijjer emphasizes the need for clear focus and support for the doctoral students: “My vision for iCANDOC is to support our doctoral students as they navigate this compact and ambitious pilot. Starting as a large cohort of students creates a sense of community and shared purpose in advancing cancer research, which I hope we can leverage to strengthen peer support and collaboration. The short timeframe is demanding, making it important that students can focus on their scientific projects while also having access to opportunities for professional development, so that they are well prepared for their future careers.”
We warmly welcome Mariike Kuijjer to this position. With this appointment, the team is ready to move forward with the next phase of the doctoral education pilot, fostering collaboration across academic disciplines and promoting research excellence through engagement with both academic and non-academic stakeholder groups.
As iCANDOC Director, Kuijjer’s responsibilities will include facilitating discussions with stakeholders within the University of Helsinki and nationally with all iCANDOC partners together with coordinator Mila Hyytinen, scientific coordinator Piia-Riitta Karhemo, and iCANPOD postdocs supporting our doctoral students throughout the pilot.
This autumn’s activities–shaped during the early planning phase through contributions from team members (conceptual development and content design led by the Scientific Coordinator)–include the launch of iCANDOC workshop series on Perspectives in Precision Cancer Medicine Inside and Outside Academia, iCANPOD welcome event, and Call4Help Series to iCANDOC doctoral researchers.
Read more about Mariike: https://ican.fi/news-events/mariike-kuijjer/
For more information, please contact
icandoc-info@helsinki.fi on general questions
icandoc-science@helsinki.fi on postdoctoral program and scientific questions
In the photo: Coordinator Mila Hyytinen, Director Mariike Kuijjer, and Scientific Coordinator Piia-Riitta Karhemo