News

Sabine van Rijt, principal investigator at Maastricht University’s MERLN Institute, has received a prestigious European grant of two million euros for her research project Nano4Bone. The ERC Consolidator Grant has a term of five years.

Scientists from Maastricht University (UM) and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) have for the first time systematically investigated what psychotropic medications are present in surface water in the Netherlands. In particular, the concentrations of the drugs oxazepam and carbamazepine appear to be so high that they could present a risk to aquatic life.

Four Maastricht research teams are starting their projects funded with money from the Open Competition of grant provider ZonMw. In addition, a Nijmegen research team has been awarded, which includes Harro van Lente, professor of Science and Technology Studies at Maastricht University (UM).

Scientists Daniel Keszthelyi and Anna Beckers from Maastricht University (UM) are to receive a prestigious European grant for early career researchers: the Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).

Eight of the 23 bachelor’s programmes at Maastricht University (UM) that were assessed have been voted the best in the country. Six UM programmes have also been awarded ‘Top-rated Programme’ status. The rankings were published today in the university guide Keuzegids Universiteiten 2023.

Due to the Western lifestyle with a high fat diet combined with little exercise, more and more people in the Netherlands are overweight or even obese. This causes an increased risk of type II diabetes. What can be done about this besides a healthier lifestyle? The answer comes from an unexpected source: shivering from the cold!

The affordability of cigarettes in the Netherlands remained virtually unchanged between 2010 and 2020. This has emerged from research by Maastricht University (UM), and makes it clear that the excise duty increases have been insufficient to make smoking less affordable.

Survivors of colon cancer often have symptoms associated with the cancer or treatment for years after treatment, such as fatigue and tingling in fingers and feet. This has a great impact on the perceived quality of life. Whereas current lifestyle advice is mainly aimed at prevention of (colon) cancer, Marlou-Floor Kenkhuis studied in her PhD the relationship between lifestyle with quality of life and fatigue in colon cancer survivors.

Yesterday saw the opening in Aachen of AMICARE, an institute at which researchers from Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht University and RWTH Aachen University will work together to unravel the relationship between cardiovascular problems and kidney disease.

Mental health disorders affect one out of four people during their lifetime, with more than three quarters affected before the age of 24. Researchers are now joining forces in the new project Youth-GEMs (Gene Environment Interactions in Mental Health TrajectorieS of Youth) to conduct research into the genetic and environmental factors of mental health in young European people. The project will be coordinated by Maastricht University.