RUBICON grants for Emma Gerrits and Wouter Huiting

Fifteen highly promising researchers, who recently received their PhDs, received a Rubicon grant from NWO this week. This grant provides them with the opportunity to gain international research experience and allows them to realise their own research plans at renowned foreign research institutes.

Two of them were former PhDs from our Department:  Emma Gerrits and Wouter Huiting.

Below a short summary of their plans that also can be found on the website of NWO

Spatial reconstruction of the neurovasculature in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia
Dr. E. Gerrits, University of Groningen -> Sweden -> Karolinska Institutet -> 24 months 

The researchers will generate a molecular atlas of brain and spinal cord tissues of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. These data will form the base for a new CNS-disease atlas of the Human Protein Atlas project.

Uncovering the secrets of functional protein aggregation 
Dr. W. Huiting, University of Groningen -> United States -> Stanford University -> 24 months 

Protein aggregation is linked to ageing and neurodegeneration, and is often viewed as innately detrimental. Recent studies have found however that aggregation can also be important for normal cell processes. The researcher will investigate how functional protein aggregation works, how it is regulated, and what distinguishes it from harmful aggregation.