Martien Kas elected president of European College of Neuropsychopharmacology

Martien Kas, professor of behavioural neuroscience at the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), has recently been elected president of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) for the term 2022-2025.

Kas' research focuses on determinants of behaviour; especially of behavioural strategies and of biological processes that are essential across species and that are affected in various neuropsychiatric conditions. Through cross-species neurobiological analysis, he ultimately aims to improve therapeutic and preventive strategies to contribute to healthy aging. This fits perfectly with the mission of the ECNP: ensuring that advances in the understanding of brain function and human behaviour are translated into better treatments and enhanced public health.

Kas: “ECNP is unique in the brain field in covering the entire pathway of treatment development; from fundamental research to the clinic. The challenge has never been greater. Not only are disorders of the brain amongst the most prevalent and burdensome human diseases, the science behind them is also unusually complex. ECNP was founded as a platform for connecting resources and combining efforts. As the field continues to change, we’ll be looking at how ECNP can continue to fulfil this role in the most effective way possible, building the future of applied neuroscience research together.”

Coordinator of PRISM consortium

Kas is also the project coordinator of the international Psychiatric Ratings using Intermediate Stratified Markers (PRISM) 1 and 2 consortium, funded by the EU’s Innovative Medicines Initiative. More about PRISM 2.