Twenty Radboud researchers receive Veni grant as part of Innovational Research Incentives Scheme

Twenty young and promising researchers from Nijmegen - eleven from Radboud University and nine from Radboudumc - are each to receive up to 250,000. NWO (The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) is awarding the Veni grant as part of the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme.

NWO awarded 161 grants in this round. A total of 1124 applications were submitted. With twenty Veni recipients this year, Radboud University and the Radboud University Medical Centre had more winners in its size category for the fifth consecutive year. Information about the scientists and their research is given below.

Brain cannabis and vulnerability

Piray Atsak - Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute
Child neglect or abuse can create a greater susceptibility for psychiatric disorders. Piray Atsak will investigate the role played by the endocannabinoid system in the long-term effects of early neglect on brain function and emotional behaviour.

The Middle Ages in surrealism

Tessel Bauduin - Radboud University, Institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies
Last century, the Middle Ages were rediscovered by surrealists like Dalí. In her project, Tessel Bauduin explores why the surrealists appreciated Medieval art, like the work of Hieronymus Bosch, and examines their efforts to position it as new and modern.

How rewards influence our performance

Erik Bijleveld - Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute
People tend to try their hardest when the reward is high. But this isn't always the case: sometimes rewards lead to poorer performances. Erik Bijleveld's project explores the influence of rewards on information processing in the cerebral cortex. This will help explain the circumstances under which rewards improve or reduce human performance.

Itch be gone!

Ellen van den Bogaard - Radboud University Medical Centre, Dermatology
Itching is a daily problem for eczema patients and can reduce their quality of life on a daily basis. Ellen van den Bogaard plans to develop complex 3D models to determine whether the cells and molecules involved in itching can be inhibited.

Do intestinal bacteria increase the risk of colon cancer in ulcerative colitis?

Annemarie Boleij - Radboud University Medical Centre, Pathology
Toxic intestinal bacteria may increase the risk of colon cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis). Annemarie Boleij will investigate whether this is indeed the case. The predictive value of these toxic bacteria may be used in the future to diagnose colon cancer at an early stage.

Decision-making model for antisocial and psychotic patients

Inti Brazil - Radboud University, Donders Institute
Forensic psychiatric centres, better known as TBS clinics, treat violent patients with extremely antisocial personalities and psychoses. These patients do not respond well to current forms of treatment and continue to make poor choices. In this project, Inti Brazil uses a decision-making model to determine why these patients make poor decisions in the hopes of developing more targeted treatment methods.

Energy metabolism determines immune response

Shih-Chin Cheng - Radboud University Medical Centre, Immunology
Immune cells need energy in order to function properly. Shih-Chin Cheng will investigate how infections affect the immune system's energy state and how energy metabolism influences immune response. A better understanding of this can help us improve vaccines and strengthen the immune system to make it better equipped to handle infections.

The link between diabetes and arteriosclerosis

Janna van Diepen - Radboud University Medical Centre, Internal Medicine
Why are some diabetics at an increased risk of developing arteriosclerosis? Janna van Diepen will explore whether precursor cells in the immune system accelerate the rate of sugar metabolism, making them more active and more aggressive, as is the case during infection. This can increase the likelihood of cell wall damage, which can cause arteriosclerosis.

The Dutch literary elite and money in the early modern period

Nina Geerdink - Radboud University, Institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies
The literary elite are often wary of best-selling authors. The same was true in the early modern period, when authors with literary ambitions insisted they wrote for honour, not money. Nina Geerdink's research delves deeper into this assumption to reveal the earning potential of Dutch authors in the early modern period.

The role of genetic load in the development of intellectual disabilities

Jayne Hehir-Kwa, Radboud University Medical Centre- Human Genetics
This research project investigates how certain combinations of genetic mutations lead to intellectual disabilities. New genetic and biometric facial data are used to determine the impact of genetic mutations on the severity of the intellectual disability.

The trauma-resistant brain

Marloes Henckens - Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious condition that can occur after a trauma. But not all people who experience traumatic events develop this disease. Marloes Henckens will investigate how PTSD-sensitive and PTSD-resistant brains respond to trauma to obtain new insights for future treatment.

Smoking and habit development

Maartje Luijten - Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute
The way our brains function can cause differences in the extent to which new habits are created. In this project, Maartje Luijten will conduct brain research to determine the development of smoking as a habit behaviour in high-risk youth.

Distortion in Poisson geometry

Ioan Marcut - Radboud University, Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics
Object distortion and limitation is a fundamental part of geometry. A piece of paper can take on many forms, but not the surface of a sphere. In this project, Ioan Marcut studies distortions in Poisson geometry, the mathematical language of classical mechanics.

Magnets out of the comfort zone

Johan Mentink - Radboud University, Institute for Molecules and Materials
Magnetism is produced by the interaction between electrons. Johan Mentink wants to understand how quickly magnets can be manipulated with the ultrafast dynamics of the charge and angular momentum of electrons. To discover this, he plans to developa non-equilibrium quantum theory.

Glycoflux: from diagnosis to galactosis

Monique van Scherpenzeel - Radboud University Medical Centre, Radboud Glycomics Facility
Galactosis is surrounded by a bit of a paradox: galactosis is toxic, accelerates the ageing process and kills yeast cells with a defective phosphoglucose mutation (PGM1). But PGM1 patients appear to improve with galactose. Monique van Scherpenzeel wants to understand why this is and hopes to find a similar solution for similar diseases.

Islamic faith and democratic support in the Middle East

Niels Spierings - Radboud University, Nijmegen Institute for Social and Cultural Research
Are Islamic extremists in the Middle East less democratic? This study reveals whether and how religious beliefs can undermine or facilitate the democratic process. Particular attention is paid to the political role and the political oppression of Islam.

Growing artificial cells

Evan Spruijt - Radboud University, Institute for Molecules and Materials
All living things are made up of cells, but these seemingly simple building blocks of life are extremely complex. Evan Spruijt develops three types of artificial cells in his study which, like living cells, can grow independently before multiplying. Mimicking cell growth in artificial cells can help us understand how living cells work.

Opening the door for therapeutic proteins against cancer

Wouter Verdurmen - Radboud University Medical Centre, Biochemistry
Therapeutic proteins are a suitable form of treatment for many types of cancer, but must be administered to the tumour in sufficient quantities. To research this process, Wouter Verdurmen is culturing tumours on a chip and testing strategies to improve administration, which can improve the efficacy of proteins as a form of medication.

The role of facial expressions in sign language

Connie de Vos - Radboud University, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
During candid conversations, signers not only converse with their hands, but also with their body movements and facial expressions. By comparing Dutch sign language to the young sign language Kata Kolok, Conne de Vos hopes to determine the origin and function of these facial expressions.

How our actions shape our perception

Fleur Zeldenrust - Radboud University, Donders Institute
We move our bodies in response to our experiences and our experiences are influenced by how we move our bodies. Fleur Zeldenrust will investigate this interaction with the help of mathematical models and computer simulations and using the whiskers of rodents as a model system.