Rosanne Yente Hertzberger (Rotterdam, 1984) is a microbiologist, writer and former politician (LinkedIn). She writes a weekly column for NRC Handelsblad.

In her work, she explores the major questions of our time at the intersection of politics, healthcare, education, religion, science and media.

She is an experienced speaker, presenter, moderator and discussion leader for events. For bookings, please contact The Next Speaker. She previously presented the radio programme Dr Kelder en Co and hosted the JortCast as Jort Kelder’s substitute.

Politics

From December 2023 to November 2025, she was a Member of Parliament for the New Social Contract party. As an MP, she worked on environmental and nature policy, higher education and science, and medical-ethical topics.

She published the policy report “A Critical Reflection on Euthanasia for Young People with Psychiatric Suffering.” She also published the report “Life in the Lab – A Critical Reflection on Embryo Legislation” for NSC’s Thinktank. She was a member of the Parliamentary Inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Science

Her scientific interests lie at the intersection of microbiology and health. After doctoral research on the metabolism of lactic acid bacteria at the University of Amsterdam, she specialised in the vaginal microbiome and the important role of vaginal bacteria in women’s health.

She began researching these bacteria at the Lewis Lab, CWIDR, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, and later continued this work as a guest researcher at A-Life, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Her publications can be found via ResearchGate, PubMed, FigShare, and ORCID 0000-0002-6119-9450.

At Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, open science and citizen science played a central role in her research projects. She initiated a citizen-science project in which women isolated their own Lactobacillus crispatus bacteria. These bacterial strains are housed at Stichting crispatus, where this women’s research collective is developing a vaginal probiotic.

Books and publications

Alongside her scientific work, she has published two books.

Het Grote Niets – waarom we te veel vertrouwen hebben in de wetenschap [The Great Nothing – Why We Put Too Much Trust in Science] (2019), and Ode aan de E-nummers – waarom e-nummers, kant-en-klaarmaaltijden en conserveermiddelen ons leven beter maken [In Defense of Processed Foods – Why Additives, Ready-Made Meals and Preservatives Make Our Lives Better] (2017).

Other work

In *Elsevier Weekblad*, she has written about diabetes and the origins of the coronavirus. In 2019, she wrote an essay for the Dutch Education Council, “The Right to Your Own Bubble”, and delivered the Dutch Liberation Day Lecture [PDF] (2019). In 2018, she delivered the Willem Drees Lecture, “The New Robot Human – A Plea for Irrationality”. In 2017, she appeared on VPRO Zomergasten.

She has regularly appeared as a commentator on television and radio programmes including Buitenhof, Nieuwsuur and Op1.

Each year, she publishes a list of clients and professional engagements in the interest of transparency. See the lists for: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.