Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
About us Latest news News News articles

Newly appointed GELIFES professor, Martien Kas, announces start of major EU project on brain disorders

14 April 2016
Martien Kas, Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience and coordinator of the PRISM project
Martien Kas, Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience and coordinator of the PRISM project

Martien Kas has recently been appointed as Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at the Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) of the University of Groningen. Within the Adaptive Life program, Kas will focus on the neurobiology of adaptive and maladaptive aspects of social behaviour and cognition.

His approach includes the cross-species genetic analyses of neurobiological substrates for maladaptive behaviors of neuropsychiatric disorders. Neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), are heritable neurodevelopmental disorders with reduced fecundity, and are characterized by inappropriate behavioral responses to environmental cues. “I focus on the analysis of behavioral strategies, in particular social interaction and behavioral flexibility, which are essential for adaptation. These studies will lead to our understanding of conserved gene function in regulating essential behavioral strategies and will ultimately improve therapeutic and preventive strategies to contribute to healthy aging.

Kas is the project coordinator of a large EU Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI) project that aims to unpick the biological reasons underlying social withdrawal, which is a common early symptom of, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and Major Depressive Disorder. The PRISM project (Psychiatric Ratings using Intermediate Stratified Markers) started on April 1st, and is a EUR €16.5 million public-private cooperation, uniting researchers from European academic centres, and major pharmaceutical companies.

The start of the project was announced in this weeks’ issue of Science.

Last modified:01 February 2017 12.45 a.m.
Share this Facebook LinkedIn

More news

  • 25 July 2025

    Article highlight: New insight in how cells regulate gene activity

    A new study, led by University of Groningen molecular biologist Danny Incarnato, identifies hundreds of shapeshifting regulatory RNA switches in E.coli bacteria and human cells.

  • 23 July 2025

    Dutch astronomers in Tenerife to test high-speed camera

    Astronomers from the University of Groningen and the University of Amsterdam are on the Canary Island of Tenerife until 29 July to test a special camera to detect gamma rays emitted by extreme objects, such as supermassive black holes and supernovae....

  • 17 July 2025

    Veni-grants for eleven UG researchers

    The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded a Veni grant of up to €320,000 each to eleven researchers of the University of Groningen and the UMCG: Quentin Changeat, Wen Wu, Femke Cnossen, Stacey Copeland, Bart Danon, Gesa Kübek, Hannah Laurens, Adi...