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.
With this 400 000 euro support by Alzheimer Nederland, the van Weering lab will aim to restore synaptic connectivity in human neurons that accumulate intracellular tau aggregates, that resemble tau pathology found in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. Using an integrated approach of imaging, electron microscopy and biochemistry, his team will assess how trophic and metabolic signaling can be utilized to prevent the loss of neuronal connections under tau pathology conditions.
There will be a PhD position opening at the secretory vesicle trafficking and recycling team (see lab website).