Neuroscience
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Our goal is to connect, facilitate, and optimize all aspects of top research, education and patient care by creating an active research community within the LUMC.
Vision & mission
Researchers in NEUROSCIENCE perform high-quality competitive research in the field of neuroscience concentrating on brain, spine, peripheral nerve and muscle diseases (1) to better understand the underlying pathogenesis and clinical course of a wide range of disorders of the nervous system that affect both nerves and muscles in the central and peripheral nervous system, (2) to identify novel targets for developing improved treatments for the disorders, and (3) to develop methodology that enables assessment of relevant disease parameters.
…Researchers in NEUROSCIENCE perform high-quality competitive research in the field of neuroscience concentrating on brain, spine, peripheral nerve and muscle diseases (1) to better understand the underlying pathogenesis and clinical course of a wide range of disorders of the nervous system that affect both nerves and muscles in the central and peripheral nervous system, (2) to identify novel targets for developing improved treatments for the disorders, and (3) to develop methodology that enables assessment of relevant disease parameters.
To this end, NEUROSCIENCE has three strategic aims:
- Find new treatment targets and apply novel treatment approaches
- Develop specific tools to treat disease
- Disseminate knowledge and train new talent
Collaboration is key
Our cutting-edge patient care, research, teaching, and training by laboratory and clinical research in NEUROSCIENCE is curiosity- and clinic-driven. To reach our goals, we involve Bachelor and Master students, PhD students and Postdocs as potential drivers of innovation and technicians and other support staff as guardians of quality and continuity of our work. The principal investigators of NEUROSCIENCE, who lead basic and clinical research together with diagnostic groups, are committed to fostering a collaborative, open culture to ensure good conduct, exchange of ideas, training and career management. Whenever feasible we reach out to peers and the general public within the LUMC and outside our organization, both at the national and international level, to maximize development and impact of our programs.
“Overlap and collaboration between the research themes is a key factor for success.”
About us
Dr. Erik Niks, MD, PhD, is pediatric and adult neurologist and neuromuscular specialist at the Department of Neurology. His research focus is on the natural history of chronic neuromuscular diseases and the development of outcome parameters and advanced therapies, specifically in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD-BMD). He coordinates the national disease registries for DMD, BMD, and LGMD. He participates in a strong translational research line that allows LUMC to study these conditions from cells and animal models all the way to the clinic. It also provides the opportunity to link consistent clinical data back to the study of imaging and circulating biomarkers and the current development of an gene editing approach for DMD.
…Dr. Erik Niks, MD, PhD, is pediatric and adult neurologist and neuromuscular specialist at the Department of Neurology. His research focus is on the natural history of chronic neuromuscular diseases and the development of outcome parameters and advanced therapies, specifically in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD-BMD). He coordinates the national disease registries for DMD, BMD, and LGMD. He participates in a strong translational research line that allows LUMC to study these conditions from cells and animal models all the way to the clinic. It also provides the opportunity to link consistent clinical data back to the study of imaging and circulating biomarkers and the current development of an gene editing approach for DMD.
Dr. Jan-Willem Beenakker
Prof. Arn M.J.M. van den Maagdenberg, PhD, neurogeneticist and neuroscientist is full professor at the Departments Human Genetics and Neurology. The main focus of his basic research is to perform “translational research” on primary headache disorders, foremost migraine and cluster headache, as well as on comorbid disorders, including various types of epilepsy. He has generated and characterized transgenic many mouse models for various monogenic disorders, based on gene mutations he had identified in patients. Additional research is on genome-wide association, -omics, and induced pluripotentstem cell & organ-on-chip studies to dissect disease pathways and mechanisms to monogenic and complex paroxysmal brain disorders and identify treatment for patients.
A.M.J.M.van_den_Maagdenberg@lumc.nl
Hermien Kan, PhD, MR researcher, is associate professor at the Department of Radiology and vice-director of the LUMC C.J. Gorter MRI Center. Her main research focus is on developing and applying quantitative magnetic resonance techniques in neuromuscular disease that include muscular dystrophies, such as Duchenne, Becker, Limb Girlde and Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy, but also Pompe disease and Myasthenia Gravis. Ongoing clinical studies include natural history studies in BMD, DMD and LGMD, brain involvement in DMD, BMD and Pompe disease. Ongoing technical development focusses on new imaging techniques to study pathophysiology and clinical implementation of quantitative MRI.