Interview | Our senior scientist Joost Swennenhuis
“The culture at Tzu, which emphasizes flexibility and a relaxed but goal-driven environment, has certainly met my expectations.”
September 2025
Joost’s career has been anything but a straight line; it’s been shaped by curiosity, chance, and a drive to find what truly interests him. He started his academic journey in Utrecht, but after four years he felt the need for a change. He decided to take control of his own path and moved into industry. Since the start of his career, he has taken on various roles in both academia and industry.
One of his notable contributions was in developing a technology called FISH, which turned out to be very successful. In 2004, Joost moved to Zutphen, and not long after, a local newspaper advert led him to Leon Terstappen, a member of our Scientific Advisory Board, who was looking for a FISH specialist in Enschede. That chance marked the start of Joost’s work in the field of CTCs. As one of the few working on the molecular characterization of CTCs, he saw this as a great opportunity. Together with Leon, he began a project where his first task was to prove that the cells they found were truly tumor cells.
Between 2008 and 2012, Joost set up a research group at the university together with Leon. After publishing several papers, he decided to pursue a PhD. Later, between 2018 and 2025, he learned more about sequencing during his position at Cergentis. A few months ago, Joost joined Tzu, and now everything is starting to fit together. He is actively involved in setting up our laboratories, molecular characterization and sequencing, applying all his skills and experiences.
Looking back, Joost sees his journey through academia and industry as valuable learning experiences. He enjoyed the independence of academic work, but he also appreciates the focus, and teamwork in the corporate world. Ultimately, he feels that working in industry suits him better because it allows for quicker progress and collaboration toward common goals.
His decision to join Tzu was personal. He was initially drawn by Wigard’s approachable and genuine manner. “I heard Wigard speak once, and I appreciated how he approached things,” Joost recalls. “The culture at Tzu, which emphasizes flexibility and a relaxed but goal-driven environment, has certainly met my expectations”.
In his role at Tzu, Joost sees himself as a connector; someone who links different parts of the workflow. He has a broad knowledge of various components and focuses on making sure they work well together. He is also able to bridge the gap between technical aspects and bioinformatics, working closely with colleagues like Michiel to ensure everything fits together smoothly.
Joost is most fascinated by biology; what happens inside a single cell and the enormous amount of data that can be generated from it still amazes him. For him, a real breakthrough would be when the technologies they develop directly help patients by using CTCs.
Outside the lab, Joost is a passionate sports enthusiast. He loves playing football, running, and supporting the horse riding sports of his wife Beike and daughter Jasmijn. For him, sports keep him sharp, motivated, and energized, supporting him both inside and outside the lab.