Hollab header picture_2_2000x700
CultureMateja2000x700
WT2
Glioma_invasion_mouse_brain
previous arrow
next arrow

Translational Neuroscience

The research mission of the Department of Translational Neuroscience is to discover and delineate mechanisms and processes which are fundamental to the development of neural systems and to the control of behavior as well as to translate these to pathogenesis and disease models. We use cutting edge technology, disease models as well as computational tools to achieve these goals.

Our teaching mission is to raise the next generation scientists and clinicians with state-of-the-art knowledge, technical expertise and vision in the field of neuroscience. As a part of this effort, we teach in several Bachelor courses, coordinate the Neuroscience and Cognition master program of the Utrecht University and offer doctoral and postdoctoral training.

News

October 11, 2024 / education, News

PhD course Neurodevelopment 2024

A new PhD course for Neurodevelopment will take place between the 18-22 November 2024! Organised by Cora Nijboer, Michael van der Kooij, Myrna Brandt, Carla Gomes da Silva, and Onur Basak of the UMC Brain Center, this course will combine multiple aspects of neurodevelopmental disorders. We will start by lectures on Autism Spectrum Disorder (day 1), dive into the recent developments on Neonatal Brain Injury (day 2), discuss how early priming of events can lead to long term outcome (day 3) and see the state-of-the-art in pediatric neurooncology (day 4). These will be supplemented by journal clubs, career sessions, a wild card game to set the tone for student-designed project challange (day 5)!

Who can join?

PhD Students enrolled at a Dutch University with great enthusiasm on Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Credits:

The course procides 1.5 ECTs

Registration:

Please contact the CEN secreteriaat (Cen-secretariaat@umcutrecht.nl) for registration. For more information, you can reach out to F.R. de Andrade (F.R.deAndrade-2@umcutrecht.nl).

Program:

Monday 18 November                  Autism Spectrum Disorders                                        

  • Keynote lectures by Prof. Em. Peter Burbach, Prof. Olga Penagarikano & Prof. Hilgo Bruining
  • Roundtable & video analysis “Support housing for ASD patients”
  • Welcome drinks & snacks

Tuesday 19 November                   Neonatal Brain Injury

  • Keynote lectures by Dr. Jeroen Dudink, Dr. Daan Ophelders & Prof. Maria Cecilia Angulo
  • Outreach: patenting your science and a workshop on designing graphical abstracts

Wednesday 20 November            Early Priming and Long-Term Outcome

  • Keynote lectures by Dr. Aniko Korosi, Dr. Jinte Middeldorp, Dr. Sharon Kolk & Dr. Ronald Poppe
  • Journal club: decisions in storybuilding by 3 senior neuroscientists
  • Life after science: speed-dating with PhD alumni that hold careers in education, valorization, government & industry (including drinks)

Thursday 21 November                 Pediatric Neuro-Oncology

  • Keynote lectures by Prof. Marcel Kool, Dr. Benedetta Artegiani and others
  • Game “keep your cards close”: new frontiers in neurodevelopment research

Friday 22 November                      Student pitches & more!

  • Pitch your innovative project (team-competition)
  • Writing & funding: interactive sessions with the editor-in-chief of Glia and the Dutch Brain Foundation
  • Quiz
  • Goodbye drinks & snacks

Daily lunch is included. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements.

 

 

October 3, 2024 / Grants

Elly Hol secures BRAINS grant to investigate reactive gliosis in various brain diseases 

New research into glial cells’ role in brain disease 
  
Research into brain diseases frequently concentrates on neurons, yet they might only reveal part of the story. Rather, the helper cells known as glia could hold the answers to the disrupted neuronal communication seen in numerous brain diseases. Specifically, a disease-induced state of glia known as reactive gliosis is suspected to be a key factor in disease onset and progression. Now, a new BRAINS grant will support a four-year study into the behavior of glial cells in various brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, MS, epilepsy, ALS and other neurological disorders.  
 
The GLIODEM BRAINS project will see top Dutch glia biologists and neuroscientists partner with Swiss biotech company GliaPharm to deliver new insights. The project aims to uncover the consequences of reactive gliosis on neuronal functioning using human in vitro models. This collaborative effort combines academic expertise and industry innovation to advance our understanding of brain diseases, potentially paving the way for innovative treatments targeting glia. 
 
Ameliorate gliosis 
Translational Neuroscience researchers Prof. dr. Elly Hol, Prof. dr. Jeroen Pasterkamp, Dr. Frank Meye, Dr. Christiaan Huffels, Dr. Elena Daoutsali, Laura Pieper and new PhD student Arthur Ermakov will collaborate with GliaPharm to measure changes in neuron-glia interaction in human iPSC and organoid models. They will develop new readouts and test novel pharmacological and genetic approaches to ameliorate reactive gliosis. 
 
The models used in the project include both astrocytes and microglia, providing a clearer, more relevant picture of how cell types interact and cause network-wide effects in conditions of stress and toxicity. 

“Previously, most brain research focused on neurons in brain disease, says Hol. “Fortunately, more and more attention is now being paid to the behavior of glial cells, which offers new opportunities for drug development. In our lab, a team is working on innovative techniques to better study gliosis. Together with GliaPharm, we will research new medicines that specifically target gliosis, with the aim of better treating people with brain diseases in the future. We are very pleased with the funding from BRAINS, which makes this collaboration possible.” 

GliaPharm’s scientific founder Prof. Pierre Magistretti adds:

“This international collaboration blends unique academic and industrial expertise. Together, we aim to develop innovative models that mimic the fundamental dysfunctions of glial cells in various neurological diseases. These models will be crucial for creating novel therapies that specifically target glial cells, opening new horizons in the treatment of these conditions”. 

To read more about the innovation inherent to this project, go here. Stay tuned for upcoming GLIODEM developments!  

  
About BRAINS  
The BRAINS partnership is a joint grant opportunity in which the following health funds join forces: Alzheimer Nederland, Stichting MS Research, EpilepsieNL and Hersenstichting.

BRAINS originated from the Netherlands Brain Initiative (Nationaal Plan Hoofdzaken), a movement dedicated to creating solutions for individuals with brain and/or psychological disorders. The Netherlands Brain Initiative achieves this by fostering connections across various disciplines and collaborating with other organizations. 

This collaborative BRAINS project has been co-financed with a PPS grant provided by Health~Holland, Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, to stimulate public-private partnerships. 

For more information about Health~Holland and the Netherlands Brain Initiative, please visit www.health-holland.com and www.nationaalplanhoofdzaken.nl

 

About GLIAPHARM 

GliaPharm is a Swiss biotech company that develops innovative approaches to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. GliaPharm was created in 2016 as a spinoff company from the laboratory of Prof. Pierre Magistretti at the Swiss federal institute of technology (EPFL, Switzerland), a leading research laboratory in the field of brain metabolism and glial cell biology. GliaPharm has established a pipeline of compounds through its in-house proprietary drug discovery platform focused on glial cell function. These compounds aim at promoting brain energy metabolism by specifically targeting glial cells. 

June 17, 2024 / News, Research paper

New gene for Parkinson’s disease discovered

In a new study published in Nature Genetics, Paul Hop and colleagues describe the discovery of a gene responsible for a heritable form of Parkinson’s disease. The study was an international collaboration coordinated by the Kenna lab and multiple partners in the US and Italy. The research team used the RVAT software package developed by the Kenna lab and specialized computational infrastructure to analyze DNA from over 2,100 patients with familial Parkinson’s disease and 70,000 volunteers. The partnership with project MinE, an independent initiative to unravel the genetic basis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis made the scale of the analyses possible.

Studying Rab32 in Parkinson's Disease

“We’re very excited about this finding. This was the largest genetic analysis of familial Parkinson’s disease to date, and we believe that the discovery of the RAB32 mutation and it’s effect on LRRK2 open up important new research lines” – Paul Hop

Paul Hop is a PhD student at the UMC Utrecht Brain Center under the supervision of Kevin Kenna and Jan Veldink. Paul is also a lead developer for the RVAT analysis package. His analysis revealed a mutation in the RAB32 gene that significantly increased the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Subsequent investigations of this mutation in laboratory grown cell models revealed that the mutation led to abnormal increases in the activity of a key Parkinson’s related protein called LRRK2. Such abnormal increases in LRRK2 activity are  important in Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, research community is already exploring this increase as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Until now, only a handful of genes have been definitively implicated in heritable forms of Parkinson’s disease. The discovery of the RAB32 mutation and its effect on the LRRK2 protein are therefore an important step forward.

For more information about the study please see:

https://www.parkinson-vereniging.nl/archief/bericht/2024/06/10/nieuw-gen-voor-de-ziekte-van-parkinson-ontdekt

https://www.parkinsons.ie/new-gene-parkinsons-disease/

1 2 3 12

Vacancies

We welcome open applications from PhD candidates and postdocs.

WP Twitter Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com