The awards ceremony will take place during the Opening of the Academic Year 2026-2027 on 31 August, at the Vereeniging in Nijmegen. The winners of the Study Awards and summaries of the winning theses are:
These are the seven winners of the University Study Prize 2026
Seven (former) students of Radboud University can call themselves winners of the University Study Prize 2026. They receive this prize because they wrote a thesis of exceptional quality during the past academic year.
Mila Burger (Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies)
How Random is Random Mutation?
In biology, the nature of mutations – changes in the genetic material – are often considered to be ‘random’. But, what does ‘random’ mean here, and how does it apply to mutation? This concept has a very rich history and philosophical analysis of the term yields not one, but a multitude of possible definitions. Moreover, the phrase ‘mutation is random’ seems to be used in both evolutionary biology and molecular genetics, raising the question whether both biological fields use the same interpretation of ‘random’. In this thesis, Mila investigated different interpretations of ‘randomness’ within biology, to elucidate what biologists mean when they claim that ‘mutations are random’.
Mila have found that the origin of the phrase ‘mutation is random’ could be traced back to two pivotal scientific discoveries. One is the formulation of the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin in 1859, where he postulated that variation happens in all directions, after which natural selection selects the beneficial variations. The other is a discovery is in molecular genetics: in 1943, geneticists Salvador Luria and Max Delbrück discovered that mutation in bacteria was not caused by the selective environment, but happened independently of the environment. Since these two discoveries, many more definitions of ‘randomness’ have been invoked to explain mutations, in both evolutionary biology and in molecular genetics. The many definitions of ‘randomness’ that Mila found, describe different things: for example, the ‘randomness’ of Darwin describes what the consequence of mutation is, namely to be not directed towards a positive outcome. In molecular genetics, however, the ‘randomness’ of a mutation describes the cause, how a mutation came about. The fact that these different meanings of ‘randomness’ coexist, can (and does) cause confusion: in this thesis Mila has identified and analysed cases where different interpretations of ‘randomness’ had been used, resulting in erroneous conclusions. This shows that a historical and philosophical outlook on contemporary science can uncover misconceptions and clarify how scientific concepts are used and what they mean.
Auke van Meer (Faculty of Arts)
Illiberal Democracy at Work. Practicing, Upholding, and Discussing Gerrymandering in the State of Missouri, 1891-1922
Throughout the history of the United States, gerrymandering has appeared regularly during the execution of the process of redrawing electoral districts. Despite its prominent role in American politics up to the present day, many scholars and journalists alike have tended to study (historical) gerrymandering as a curious feature within the American political system rather than as an inherent part of, and allowed by, the system. In this thesis, in light of recent historical and political scholarly research, historical gerrymandering is examined as an illiberal democratic phenomenon within a liberal democratic constitutional framework based on a case study of the State of Missouri between 1891 and 1922, using a paradigm centered around the concept of ‘illiberal democracy’. This new paradigm aims to focus on gerrymandering as a product of the liberal democratic constitutional framework of Missouri and the United States in general, instead of the aforementioned scholarly approaches which have tended to treat gerrymandering as a curious feature. In doing so, this thesis demonstrates how gerrymandering did not occur in isolation, but as a consistent phenomenon in the political dynamic of Missouri during the Progressive Era (between 1890 and 1922 to be exact) alongside other, both liberal and illiberal democratic phenomena that, either intentionally or unintentionally, strengthened each other.
Kiki Nabers (Faculty of Science)
Shining Light on GCaMP8: Expression Patterns of jGCaMP8m and RiboL1-jGCaMP8m in Mouse Auditory Cortex
In her thesis, Kiki investigated calcium indicators at Dr Bernhard Englitz’s Computational Neuroscience Lab. These calcium indicators are used by neuroscientists to investigate neural activity in the brain. When a neuron is activated, calcium ions flow into the cell. Thus, calcium indicators reveal if a neuron is active, which is very useful for neuroscientists. In Kiki’s experiments, mice received an injection of a calcium indicator in the auditory cortex: a brain area known to be involved in the processing of sound. Different tones were presented to the mice, and the calcium indicators revealed neuronal ‘activity’ in response to these stimuli. Afterwards, Kiki investigated the brain tissue through staining techniques and imaging. She investigated two different types of calcium indicators and different concentrations to identify which one worked best, guiding future experiments of the research group. Her careful conclusion was that the targeted indicator (RiboL1-jGCaMP8m) performed better for her research than the non-targeted indicator (jGCaMP8m).
Sophie van den Broek (Faculty of Law)
The Prohibition of Recourse under the WHOA: In Search of a fair balance
A company may be in financial distress while still being viable at its core. In such cases, restructuring its debts may offer a way to avoid bankruptcy. This can be achieved through an arrangement with creditors, laid down in a restructuring plan. Since 2021, Dutch law has provided a specific framework for this purpose: the ‘Wet homologatie onderhands akkoord’ (WHOA). The WHOA is designed to preserve viable businesses that would otherwise be forced into bankruptcy. Although creditors will often receive only partial payment under such a plan, they are generally better off than they would be in liquidation.
As the WHOA is still relatively new, the application of certain of its provisions remains unclear. One example is the so-called ‘no-recourse’ rule. This rule is relevant in tripartite relationships, where a third party, such as a surety, guarantees the company’s debt to a creditor. If the restructuring plan prevents the creditor from recovering the full amount from the company, the creditor may still claim payment from the guarantor. Once the guarantor has paid, it acquires a ‘right of recourse’ against the company, allowing it to seek reimbursement for the amount paid. The no-recourse rule under the WHOA, however, restricts that possibility. The guarantor is prevented from passing the burden of the payment back to the company. Without such a restriction, the company could still be confronted with the debt that the restructuring plan was intended to reduce, albeit indirectly through the guarantor. That outcome could undermine the restructuring and potentially lead to the company’s bankruptcy after all. At the same time, the no-recourse rule has significant consequences for the guarantor, who has to bear the full loss.
The precise scope and application of the no-recourse rule therefore raise numerous questions. These questions have now been litigated up to the Dutch Supreme Court, which is expected to deliver its judgment in the autumn of 2026. In her thesis, Sophie anticipates the answers to several fundamental issues and examines whether a fair balance van be struck between preserving a viable company and protecting the guarantor’s interest in reimbursement.
Lotte de Groot (Faculty of Social Sciences)
Exploring the relationship between cognitive load and teacher-XAI interaction for XAI-assisted scoring
Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) can support more responsible AI-assisted scoring by helping teachers understand why the system suggests a particular score, for example. That sounds promising in theory, but how does it work in practice? XAI may improve understanding, but it also adds information that teachers need to process, potentially affecting their cognitive load. This raises practical questions: (how) do teachers actually use such a system? Does task complexity shape usage? And which explanation types are (not) useful in practice?
To explore this, secondary school teachers scored short open-ended responses in an interactive AI scoring environment with multiple XAI features. Using process data and interviews, Lotte examined both teachers perceived cognitive load and their XAI-use strategies. While the sample size currently limits generalization, the findings suggest that adding explanations did not have a large influence on participants’
cognitive load. Instead, teachers reported a shift in where their effort went: a part of the initial load of evaluating students’ responses was spent evaluating the AI’s suggestion. Teachers particularly consulted the explanations for more complex student responses (when such responses had previously led to disagreement between graders). This points to strategic use of XAI in cognitively demanding situations. Preferences and perceived usefulness varied by explanation type, subject matter teacher characteristics (such as AI literacy). Even so, teachers generally valued having explanations available on demand as an added layer of transparency and support while scoring.
Emma van Heeswijk (Nijmegen School of Management)
Moral Machines as Citizens? Exploring Moral Status and Democratic Citizenship for Artificial General Intelligence
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is a currently hypothetical form of artificial intelligence that could have major consequences for society. In theory, AGI would be capable of autonomously doing everything a human can do. How would we deal with such a system? Should a machine that behaves like a human have the same rights as a human?
In Emma’s thesis, she explored these questions through the concepts of moral status and democratic citizenship. Moral status concerns who or what counts morally and therefore deserves rights and protection. Emma conclude that the existing theories of moral status fall short when they are applied to AGI. Using the current theories creates too great a risk of systematically underestimating or overestimating AGI. Underestimating or overestimating entities can have major consequences for society, so to prevent this in the case of AGI systems, we need a theory that is actually applicable to AGI.
Emma therefore propose a new assessment framework with a threshold that can determine, in a relatively concrete way, when an AGI system deserves moral status. Rather than looking at what a machine is (is it conscious? can it feel?), which is impossible to prove, this framework looks at how a machine consistently behaves. Only when a system consistently demonstrates that it for example can reason morally on its own, make ethical judgements and autonomously adapt to new situations, is there, according to her research, reason to regard it as a moral agent. How we should treat such a system afterwards is a second question.
Emma then take the next step by exploring what democratic citizenship would look like if a machine were to meet these requirements. The conclusion is explicitly not that every intelligent, moral machine should immediately receive the right to vote. Instead, her research shows that the traditional connection between moral agency and citizenship is no longer self-evident in the case of AGI. Even if an AGI were to deserve moral status, it does not automatically follow that it should also become a citizen. That question requires much more consideration and research.
Her thesis shows that we should already be thinking seriously about the societal consequences of future AI systems. Not only about what will become technically possible and how we should deal with it, but above all about the norms and values by which we judge such systems. The quote at the beginning of her thesis perhaps best captures the relevance of this topic: ‘Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.’ ‘Dr. Ian Malcolm’, Jurassic Park (1993).
Eline Senders (Faculty of Medical Science)
Mitochondria as the central integrator of salt-induced monocyte responses: The interplay of calcium signaling, IL-8 production, and taurine modulation
A high dietary salt intake is a common problem worldwide. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum intake of 5 grams of salt per day, whereas the average global consumption is more than twice as high at 10.78 grams. High salt intake has long been associated with elevated blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In addition, increasing evidence suggests that a high-salt diet can also promote chronic inflammation, which plays a role in conditions such as chronic kidney disease and disorders of the aorta, the body's main artery.
Eline investigated how monocytes, a type of white blood cell, respond to high salt concentrations. These cells play a crucial role in regulating inflammatory responses. Her research showed that excessive salt causes cellular stress in monocytes. The high salt concentration appears to cause the cells to shrink, triggering a variety of stress responses. This disrupts normal protein synthesis and places strain on the mitochondria, the cell’s energy-producing structures. As a result, the cells produce greater amounts of inflammatory mediators.
In addition, activated monocytes are able to migrate more readily to the vessel wall, where they further amplify inflammatory processes. Over time, this may contribute to the formation of plaques within blood vessels, a key feature of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. Eline also explored ways of reducing this inflammatory response. Her findings indicated that taurine, a naturally occurring compound found in the body as well as in certain foods and energy drinks, can partially inhibit the inflammatory response. Consequently, immune cells appear to be better protected against the harmful effects of a high salt load.
These findings contribute to a better understanding of how excessive salt intake can drive inflammation. In the longer term, this knowledge may support the development of new strategies to prevent or treat inflammation-related cardiovascular diseases.
Attending the award ceremony
The award ceremony will take place on Monday 31 August 2026 during the Opening of the Academic Year at De Vereeniging concert hall in Nijmegen. You received a personal invitation by email.
