News - CNCR

Introducing the Neurolipid Atlas: a new resource for brain lipid research and neurodegenerative diseases published in Nature Metabolism

Altered lipid metabolism in the brain is a key feature of many neurodegenerative diseases, yet comparing lipid data across studies has remained a challenge. To address this, Femke Feringa and Sascha Koppes-den Hertog from the dementia discovery team of Rik van der Kant (FGA-CNCR) together with the lipidomics and metabolomics team of Martin Giera at the LUMC in Leiden have developed the Neurolipid Atlas (available at neurolipidatlas.com).

ParkinsonFonds grant for Neurospector team

Stichting ParkinsonFonds awarded €355.710,00 to Prof. Ruud Toonen (FGA & Neurospector) to advance research on genetic forms of Parkinson’s disease.

New study on secretion principles published in JCB

A new study by Fiona Murphy & team (FGA/MCN) on how different components of the secretion machinery work together to bind/recruit key lipids, is now published in Journal of Cell Biology.

Prof. Dr. Matthijs Verhage Honored with the 2025 Innovative Research Award

We are thrilled to announce that Prof. Dr. Matthijs Verhage, head of the department of Functional Genomics and a founder of the European STXBP1 Consortium (ESCO), has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Innovative Research Award by the STXBP1 Foundation.

Peptidergic control of the brain’s stress system modulates anxiety

In a new study published in Science Advances, Dr. Danai Riga and colleagues explored how the brain’s built-in peptidergic systems help regulate its response to stress

Queen Máxima opens ADORE Research building

On Wednesday, May 14, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands officially opened the ADORE Research and Diagnostics Centre in Amsterdam. This cutting-edge facility, an initiative of Amsterdam UMC, brings together Neuroscientists and Oncology researchers, making it the largest onco-neuro campus worldwide.

First patient completes new trial to test brain-cholesterol lowering Alzheimer’s medication

The existing HIV medication Efavirenz may potentially also be effective for Alzheimer’s patients by lowering cholesterol in the brain. A clinical trial to test this led by Dr. Rik van der Kant, team leader at the Dementia Discovery, started in fall 2024 and now the first patient has completed treatment. Participants are still being recruited.

Ruud Toonen about faltering nerve cells, from defective communication to recovery from brain diseases

Ruud Toonen has officially delivered his inaugural lecture as Professor of Neuroscience and Knowledge Utilization at VU Amsterdam. His lecture, held on January 31, 2025, was part of the symposium Perspectives on Knowledge Utilization in Life Sciences at VU Amsterdam.

Alzheimer Nederland Major Award to Jan van Weering

Alzheimer Nederland has awarded Jan van Weering a Major Award to investigate how neurotrophic signaling and mitochondrial function can be modulated to restore neuronal network function in neurons with tau pathology.

Symposium “Perspectives on Knowledge Utilization in Life Sciences”

Matthijs Verhage and Iwan de Esch are organizing a symposium on January 31st, preceding the inauguration lecture of Dr. Ruud Toonen, professor of Neuroscience and Knowledge Utilization. The symposium is free and open to the public, targeting students, life science professionals, and individuals working in the medtech/biotech sector.

Vidi grant awarded to Amélie Freal

Amélie Freal (FGA) was awarded a Vidi grant from NWO for her project “Neurons in balance” to investigate the mechanisms controlling axon initial segment plasticity and how this regulates network activity homeostasis.

Amsterdam UMC fellowship for Dr. Danai Riga

Danai Riga will join the FGA as a new team leader, after being awarded the Amsterdam UMC fellowship. The fellowship (750K) will support her in establishing her independent research line and expand her research group at the CNCR.

Kim Wolzak awarded with Alzheimer Nederland thesis prize 2024

During a regular Monday morning lab meeting, Kim was surprised by a team from Alzheimer Nederland with the Alzheimer Nederland thesis prize 2024. She was applauded for the impressive manner in which she was capable to explain her high quality fundamental scientific work performed in the Scheper lab to a lay audience.

ERC Starting grant for Max Koppers

Max Koppers (FGA) was awarded an ERC Starting Grant by the European Union for his “RNA.ORG” project to investigate the molecular mechanisms that coordinate mRNA capture and translation in neurons.

Million Dollar Bike ride for research of STXBP1-related disorders

On Saturday June 8, 2024, our teams successfully biked the European Million Dollar Bike Ride, a fundraising event to raise money for research into STXBP1-related disorders! Together they raised more than 12.000 euros.

Tauopathy Challenge Workshop Grant for Rik van der Kant

Dr. van der Kant, group leader of the Dementia Discovery Group at the CNCR, has received a $500.000 award to study how lipids contribute to primary Tauopathies such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Dr. Wiep Scheper (FGA) appointed as professor of Proteostatic Stress and Neurodegeneration

Dr. Scheper is internationally known for her studies on the role of proteostatic stress mechanisms in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. She now receives further recognition for her work with a professorship.

New study on balancing synaptic strength in Nature Communications

This multidisciplinary work led by Marieke Meijer (Amsterdam UMC - FGA) describes how tomosyns limit synaptic strength at rest to equalize synaptic transmission during activity.

New disease concept for STXBP1 disorder and disease prediction tool

A collaboration between CNCR-FGA and University of Heidelberg shows that protein instability is the generalizable, primary cause. A new prediction tool outperforms all existing predictors. The paper is out now in Biological Psychiatry.

New disease mechanism discovered for SYT1-associated disorder

Neurotransmitter release is less synchronized in SYT1-associated disorder, according to a new study from the Cornelisse lab.

SynGO consortium releases version 1.2 with 30% more genes

The SynGO consortium, consisting of >20 expert labs worldwide and coordinated by CNCR, brings together scientific knowledge about synapses & provides online analysis tools. Their new release contains >1600 annotated synaptic genes.

ESCO consortium takes off with new funding and EMA application

The European STXBP1 COnsortium (ESCO, www.stxbp1eu.org) was established in 2021 with eight partner countries in the EU, coordinated by VU/AUMC. All partners have now signed the consortium agreement and ESCO secured its 1st funding.

New study on Axon Initial Segment plasticity in Science Advances

A new study led by Amelie Freal (FGA) describes mechanisms controlling Axon Initial Segment plasticity, revealing distinct and dynamic pools of sodium channels that adjust neuronal excitability

ERC Starting Grant for Amélie Freal

Amélie Freal (FGA) was awarded an ERC Starting Grant by the European Union for the “PLaisTICITY” project to investigate mechanisms underlying Axon Initial Segment plasticity

ZonMW Dementia Fellowship for Kim de Kleijn

Kim de Kleijn (The Candidate Center/AUMC/FGA) received the ZonMW Dementia Fellowship (3 years) to set-up an independent research line to study the TREM receptor family and its relevance for microglia functioning in context of Alzheimer’s disease.

VENI grant for Femke Feringa

Femke Feringa (FGA) received a ZonMW VENI grant to develop her independent research line on how the Alzheimer risk mutation APOE4 contributes to senescence (cell aging) in human astrocytes generated from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Kim Wolzak receives Top Paper Award 2023 at DNM

During the Dutch Neuroscience Meeting, Kim Wolzak, PhD student in Wiep Scheper’s research group, received the Top Paper Award 2023 from the Neurofederation.

CNCR co-hosts 1st European STXBP1 Summit in Milan

The STXBP1 team (FGA) joined 150 other researchers, healthcare professionals, industry representatives, and patient families and -advocates from all over the world for the first European meeting fully dedicated to STXBP1

Wiep Scheper receives NWO funding to study lysosomal dysfunction

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded an ENW-M2 open competition grant of 730 k€ to CNCR researcher Wiep Scheper (PI team) to study the role of de-ubiquitinating enzymes in tau-induced dysfunction of the neuronal auto- and endo-lysosomal system. In this multidisciplinary project Scheper PI of the Molecular Neurodegeneration group teams up with ubiquitin signalling expert Aysegul Sapmaz (LUMC, Leiden).

Max Koppers joins CNCR and starts new team on mRNA trafficking

Max will start at FGA on March 1st, building a team aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms and functional relevance of mRNA trafficking and local translation in neuronal subcellular compartments in health and disease.

CNCR joins TARGET ALS consortium to restore Stathmin2 expression

Irune Guerra San Juan and Matthijs Verhage (FGA) became partners in an international consortium that designs and tests oligonucleotides to suppress poison exon insertion and restore full length Stathmin 2 expression in sporadic ALS

CNCR researcher receives grant from the EU joint program

Van der Kant and the VU Medical Center receive funding for unravelling the associative link between exercise and lipid metabolism in prevention against Alzheimer.

Optimizing study designs for iPSC-based disease modelling

In a study published in Molecular Psychiatry, Jessie Brunner, Hanna Lammertse and Annemiek van Berkel (FGA) teamed up with Sophie van der Sluis (CTG) and the proteomics facility (MCN) to optimize statistical power for iPSC-based study designs.

The Axon Initial Segment Biology team is live!

Amelie Freal, head of the team, joined CNCR earlier this year and is developing an independent research program on axon initial segment biology at FGA.

PreSSAD awarded, will study early presynaptic AD biomarkers

The PreSSAD consortium of 6 EU partners incl. CNCR (Matthijs Verhage, FGA) was awarded (JPND/Memorabel, pre-diagnosis disturbances in neurodevelopmental disorders) and will start Nov 1st with IPSC-based models of presynaptic degeneration

Three CNCR TenureTrackers rewarded permanent employment contract

The performance of CNCR researchers Rachel Brouwer, Loek van der Kallen and Mahesh Karnani has been evaluated positively and we are happy to announce that they are rewarded a permanent employment contract.

Three CNCR researchers each awarded a VIDI grant

Rik van der Kant, Natalia Goriounova and Priyanka Rao-Ruiz, researchers at the Center for Neurogenomics & Cognitive Research at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, have been awarded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) with a Vidi grant worth 800,000 euros.

Novel insights into neuronal resilience to proteostatic stress

A new study by Kim Wolzak and colleagues from the team of Wiep Scheper reveals how neurons shift their translational control to ensure proteostatic resilience during ER stress. The study was published in The EMBO Journal.

Million dollar bike ride: teams raise more than 20.000 euro

On Saturday 11th of June we successfully biked the Dutch-Belgian million dollar bike ride, a fundraising event to raise money for research towards STXBP1-Encephalopathy!

Belgian & Dutch STXBP1 labs bike to raise money for research

We bike together to raise money for research towards new treatments for the rare disorder STXBP1 Encephalopathy!

Biggest study so far implicates synaptic genes in schizophrenia

An international consortium analysed DNA from more than 300,000 people with and without the disorder. The SYNGO consortium, coordinated by CNCR, performed the analyses of synaptic genes. The study is published in Nature on April 11th

SFARI director’s award for SYNGO

Guus Smit and Matthijs Verhage obtained funding to coordinate expert annotation of the synaptic protein interactome, with the goal to curate protein-protein interactions implicated in autism.

New study on neuropathies upon loss of TDP43-regulated RNA Stmn2

Irune Guerra San Juan (FGA) & team show neuropathies may develop in ALS patients when a poison exon in Stmn2 mRNA is not excised due to TDP43 dysfunction. The study is a collaboration with Harvard University published in Neuron on March 15th

SYNGO2 starts with new 2 year support from The Broad Institute

The SYNGO consortium, coordinated by CNCR, enters a new phase to annotate/curate protein-protein interactions in the synapse with two more years of funding for the Amsterdam office.

CNCR STXBP1 team wins social media challenge

This February, the Orphan Disease Center challenged researchers worldwide to share social media posts about the rare disease they are working on . The three most creative and popular posts were selected as winners on Feb.28th, Rare Disease Day 2022. The CNCR STXBP1 team is one of the winners

BRAINMODEL: precision medicine for brain disorders

New consortium consisting of researchers from six Dutch knowledge institutions, coordinated by the CNCR and Radboud UMC, has been awarded with a grant of 4 million euros from ZonMW, to develop new research methods to improve treatment for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Wiep Scheper featured in Brainwave podcast

Wiep Scheper talks about her research to Alzheimer’s in the latest podcast of Brainwave, listen to it here!

How dynamin organizes neuropeptide release sites

Alessandro Moro (CNCR-FGA) and colleagues identified the endocytic protein dynamin as a central regulator for neuromodulator secretion from dense core vesicles in mammalian neurons. This study is now published in Science Advances.

UCB and CNCR join forces targeting genetic epilepsy syndromes

The global biopharmaceutical company UCB and an FGA team led by Ruud Toonen signed a 700k€ contract for joint research to develop new treatment strategies for genetic epilepsy syndromes.

New study on how calcium triggers neuropeptide secretion

Rhodé van Westen (CNCR-FGA) and colleagues identify Synaptotagmin-1 and Synaptotagmin-7 as redundant calcium sensors for neuromodulator secretion from dense core vesicles in mammalian neurons. This study is published in PNAS on April 28th.

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