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Why this programme?

Fundamental Neuroscience

The specialisation in Fundamental Neuroscience provides you with both a theoretical background and practical experience in research at the interface between psychology and biology. This specialisation takes brain cells as a starting point and uses knowledge from different neuroscience disciplines, such as molecular biology and behavioral testing, to study how the brain functions. The programme will give you an overview of the mechanisms that underlie psychological processes, as well as psychiatric and neurological disorders, and will provide you with the laboratory skills needed to conduct preclinical research into these disorders and mechanisms.

The specialisation provides an in-depth study of physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying psychological, psychiatric and neurological disorders, including affective, cognitive, and motor disorders. Within this context, you also study the role of the emerging field of pain and neuroinflammation. Core courses are organised along these mechanisms/disorders including practical trainings to acquire the necessary laboratory skills. Specific workshops provide additional technical knowledge.

Internships

From November of the second year, you will devote your time to the preparation and execution of your research internship and master’s thesis. You will conduct your own research project (very often as part of a larger ongoing study), including the writing of a proposal, acquiring and analysing the data. The work is reported in a master’s thesis, written in the style of a scientific journal article. Given the strong multidisciplinary research infrastructure here in Maastricht as well as extensive international networks, you will have ample opportunities for internships related to any aspect of Fundamental Neuroscience, either locally or at other top universities throughout the world. We will help you find a topic and location that best fit your own interests and career goals. Curious about the kinds of projects students have conducted? At the bottom of this page you will find a list of research topics.

You will be part of a multidisciplinary team of neuroscientists including biological psychologists, molecular biologists, neuropsychologists, neurobiologists, neuroanatomists, psychopharmacologists, psychiatrists and neuroimmunologists. These professionals participate in world-wide international networks of research in relevant fields at academia and industry. This offers excellent opportunities for internships at some of the world’s most prestigious institutes.

Dean Paes Testimonial

  Request a brochure

  Fundamental Neuroscience (FN) was the perfect choice for me. Its fusion of biology and psychology enabled me to approach and understand the brain’s miracles on multiple levels. FN provided information on a lot of topics, which greatly tickled my interests and helped me choose what field I would like to continue in. Writing and presenting several proposals during the different courses, taught me to combine knowledge, transfer ideas and think critically; important skills for a scientific career. I appreciated the international character with students from literally all over the world. At the same time it allows close contact with coordinators to discuss thoughts and ideas. This contact also permits finding internships and jobs via the staff’s network. This way, I could start my current research internship at a biotech company led by world-leading experts. 

Dean Paes (The Netherlands)
Research master’s student in Fundamental Neuroscience

 

Teaching staff and research environment

The majority of the staff of Fundamental Neuroscience is connected to the division Neuroscience of the School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS) at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML). The main research topics include cell signalling, brain plasticity, neurodegeneration, regeneration, genetics, and epigenetics in a translational (i.e. involving both animal and human) setting. Brain cell anatomy and biochemistry can be studied in detail with the latest innovative techniques available. In addition, the latest genomic techniques are available to find (epi)genetic markers. The electrophysiology laboratory allows for electrical brain stimulation of rats, for example, and EEG recordings in freely moving animals. The behavioural lab meets up-to-date standards for the automated assessment of animal behaviour.

Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, FHML, Core course Biopsychological Neuroscience, Workshop Behavioral Tests and Models, Skill Neuroanatomy, Publications

Jos Prickaerts

psychopharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, neurodegeneration, learning and memory, phosphodiesterases, plasticity

Senior research staff, Dept. Neurosurgery Maastricht University Medical Center, Core course Neurological Neuroscience, Publications

Govert Hoogland

epilepsy, febrile seizures, synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, brain development, cognition, neurosurgery

Assistant Professor (Specialisation coordinator), Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, FHML, Core course Psychiatric Neuroscience, Workshop Molecular Genetics, Publications

Daniel van den Hove

Behavioral neuroscience, neuroepigenetics, molecular psychiatry, developmental programming, gene x environment (GxE) interactions, stress, anxiety disorders, depression and Alzheimer’s disease

Professor in Exp. Anesthesiology and Pain Research, Anesthesiology, FHML, Core course Neuroplasticity and pain, Publications

Bert A. Joosten

Pain, Chronic pain, Neuropathic pain, Spinal cord, Interventional techniques, NMDA, Prediction and prevalence of postoperative pain, Central sensitisation, glia, Trophic factors, Translational neuroscience

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, FHML, Core course Psychiatric Neuroscience, Workshop Molecular Genetics, Publications

Gunter Kenis

Psychoneuroimmunology, Psychiatric genetics, Behavioral genetics, Gene–environment interactions, Molecular neurobiology, Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, FHML, Core course Neuroimmunology and Inflammation, Publications

Mario Losen

Antibody-mediated autoimmunity, immunotherapy, Alzheimer’s disease, myasthenia gravis, immunosuppression, recombinant antibody technology

Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, FHML, Core course Introduction to Molecular and Biochemical Techniques, FN internship coordinator, Publications

Pilar Martínez-Martínez

Neuroinflammation, autoimmunity, lipid metabolism, peripheral nervous system and central nervous system animal models, neuropsychiatric disorders

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, FHML, Core course Neuroanatomy, Publications

Jörg Mey

cellular neuroscience, glia, spinal cord injury, nuclear receptor signaling, biomaterials, nerve regeneration

Assistant Professor, Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, FPN, Core course Introduction to Psychology, Publications

Eef Theunissen

Psychopharmacology, behavioral and cognitive performance, drugs and driving, cannabis

Postdoctoral fellow, Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, FHML, Core course Neurological Neuroscience, Workshop Stereotactic Surgery, Publications

Ali Jahanshahi

Neuromodulation, Histology and Microscopy, Behavioral neuroscience, Neuroplasticity

Post-doctoral researcher, Cognitive Neuroscience, FPN - Rehabilitation Medicine, FHML, Core course Electrophysiology, Publications

Inge Timmers

Cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, EEG/ERP, chronic pain, rehabilitation, somatosensory processing, stress

Associate professor, Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, FHML, Course Neurodegeneration, Publications

Bart Rutten

Neuroepigenetics, Gene-environment interactions, Translational neuroscience, Differential Sucsceptibility, Resilience, Neurodegeneration, Neuroplasticiy

Senior Lecturer, Maastricht Centre for Entrepreneurship, SBE, Workshop Commercialising Science & Technology, Publications

Wynand Bodewes

Ideation, entrepreneurship, scaling, effectuation, customer development

Research topics

 

Thesis Institution
The role of 4-EBP in sleep deprivation-induced memory deficits Translational Research Center, Philadelphia, USA
The role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the nerve healing processes Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
mRNA modulating therapy for Huntington´s Disease Dept. Neurosurgery, Maastricht University
Modeling migraine in induced pluripotent stem cells Dept. Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA
Modeling migraine in induced pluripotent stem cells John Ratcliffe Hospital, Oxford University, UK
Cell signaling studies using organic bioelectronics Dept. Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
The role of scavenger receptors on the phagocytic properties of microglia in multiple sclerosis Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Peripheral injury-induced trafficking of AMPA receptors and the role of this trafficking in pain behavior Dept. Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, USA
In vivo imaging of place cell activity in a mouse model of autism

RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Japan

Gamma-secretase modulators as therapeutic target for processing amyloid-beta precursor protein Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston

 

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