Research Institute BCN-BRAIN

The Research Institute BCN-BRAIN (‘Research Institute for Neurosciences and Healthy Ageing’) was established in its present form in 2005. The institute is part of the university based multidisciplinary/ interfaculty Research School Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences (BCN).

 

The mission of BCN-BRAIN is to promote research that is aimed at understanding the function of the healthy brain and dysfunction of the nervous system with reference to neurological and psychiatric disorders. The research emphasizes translational collaboration between lab-based and hospital-based researchers and integrative aspects (integrating different levels of neuroscience research). Our mission also entails educating and training master and PhD students to become independent neuroscience researchers.

 

BCN-BRAIN harbours both clinical and biomedical neuroscience research. It ranges from molecular research in C. Elegans to cognitive studies in humans. This allows a multi-disciplinary approach to understand the (normal ageing phenomena of the) healthy brain and to answer neurological and psychiatric disease-related questions. Based on integrated research lines, preclinical- and clinical researchers collaborate both in biomedical and patient-oriented research. Through cooperation within the interfaculty neuroscience Research School BCN this is further supplemented with behavioural, physiological, physical, psychological, and mathematical research and know-how. With regard to the neurological and psychiatric diseases that are studied, the emphasis is on neurodegenerative diseases, mood disorders and schizophrenia.

 

‘Healthy Ageing’
Within the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), ‘Healthy Ageing’ is the primary focus of research, patient care and education & training. Healthy ageing is the lifelong process that starts before conception, with parents who pass on their genes and with them the risks and opportunities for a healthy life course, or the occurrence of illness later in life. Lifestyle, food patterns and environmental factors influence the development of health. To maintain healthy ageing, however, detailed knowledge is required about the influence of these factors, and how they interact with one another.

Research on ageing calls for a multidisciplinary approach. It extends from fundamental biological and (pre)clinical research through applied research to social-societal effects of disease and health. In this way results can be translated rapidly into adequate and/or improved prevention and treatment methods.

 

‘Ageing Brain’
In line with the strategy of the UMCG (‘Healthy Ageing’), research of BCN-BRAIN (‘Research Institute for Neurosciences and Healthy Ageing’) is focused on ‘Ageing Brain’.  Within the ‘Ageing Brain’ programme more then 100 neuroscientists from a broad field of expertise (from basic to clinical research fields) are active, performing multidisciplinary and translational research on the normal processes of ageing and the pathophysiological mechanisms of (acute) psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

 

Contact information:

Director: prof. H.P.H. (Berry) Kremer (Research Institute BCN-BRAIN)
Director: prof. H.W.G.M. (Erik) Boddeke (Research School BCN)
Research coordinator: M.H.W. (Michiel) Hooiveld, PhD (m.h.w.hooiveld@umcg.nl)
Secretary: Ms. E.T. (Evelyn) Kuiper-Drenth (e.t.kuiper-drenth@umcg.nl)
Education coordinator: Ms. drs. D.H. (Diana) Koopmans (d.h.koopmans@umcg.nl)
Course Registration: Ms. J. (Janine) Wieringa (janine.wieringa@umcg.nl)

Visiting address:
Ant. Deusinglaan 1, Building 3217 ('de Brug'), Room 7.21
9713 AV Groningen
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 50 363 4734
Fax: +31 50 363 8875
E-mail: e.t.kuiper-drenth@med.umcg.nl

 

Related information

   > Ageing Brain program, UMCG

   > BCN Website

   > Research Institute BCN, website UMCG