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MHENS School for Mental Health and Neuroscience
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Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute

MHeNs, Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute strives to advance our understanding of brain-behaviour relationships by using an approach integrating various disciplines in neuro- and behavioural science, medicine, and the life sciences. MHeNs performs high-impact neuroscience research and educates master’s students and PhD researchers. MHeNs performs translational research, meaning practical collaboration between researchers in the lab and in the hospital and in close collaboration with the Faculty for Psychology and Neuroscience and School of Business and Economics (Centre for Integrative Neuroscience).

Fast facts

  • Led by Prof. David Linden
  • Research continuum from fundamental to clinical and applied research
  • About 500 researchers including 325 PhD students, 60 support staff
  • More than 600 publications annually in Science Citation indexed journals
  • 19 million euro annual budget
  • Coordinator of the EURON Graduate School
David Linden homepage
Prof. David Linden

The impact of MHeNs’ unique research approach

With the knowledge acquired today, we move forward working towards a better future for the patients of today and tomorrow. That is why we collaborate in crossroads. 
Coming together at crucial intersections is where MHeNs researchers (from the five MHeNs research themes) and clinicians from the clinical pillars from MUMC+ Brain and Nerve Centre (BNC) and Centre for Ophthalmology meet and work together, opening the door to new discoveries. Discoveries for current patients and those of the future.

  More about our research

5 Research themes

  • RL-Imaging

    Neuroimaging

    and the collaborations with the clinical pillars in this research theme.

    Explore here
  • Neuromonitoring

    Monitoring

    and the collaborations with the clinical pillars in this research theme.

    Explore here
  • Modulation

    Neuromodulation

    and the collaborations with the clinical pillars in this research theme.

    Explore here
  • Rehab and prevention

    Rehabilitation and Prevention

    and the collaborations with the clinical pillars in this research theme.

    Explore here
  • RL Cell Biology and Genetics

    Cell Biology and Genetics

    and the collaborations with the clinical pillars in this research theme.

    Explore here

11 Clinical pillars

MHeNs and BNC collaborate in 11 specialisms, aimed at patients with complex disorders of the brain and nervous system. The research collaborations occur in the so-called clinical pillars. The outcomes of this team research performances will lead to advanced evidence-based insights, innovative decision-making, better directions, highly developed innovations, technologies and treatments that can have considerable societal impact. Explore our crossroads in the following 5 research themes below. 

  Cognition and Dementia
  Epilepsy
  Movement
  Stroke
  Hearing and Balance
  Vision and Ophthalmology
  Autonomic Control
  Mood, Anxiety and Trauma
  Psychosis and Neurodevelopment
  Eating Disorders
  Pain 

  Get acquainted with the work of MHeNs, watch our animation on our research and societal impact.  

box_phd_educational

PhD Education

MHeNs’ PhD programme promotes a high level of competence in a specific research field, but also in more generic, transferrable skills that are important for professional careers in research, education, or clinical practice.

 Read more

News

  • Placeholder

    Veni-beurzen voor onderzoekers Maastricht UMC+

    De Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) maakte 17 juli jl. bekend welke onderzoekers de zogenaamde Veni-beurs krijgen. Deze beurs gaat naar veelbelovende onderzoekers uit de volle breedte van de wetenschap. 

  • Mayke Oosterloo

    Huntington’s is a disease you don't carry alone

    Mayke Oosterloo is a movement disorders neurologist at Maastricht UMC+ and a researcher at the MHeNs institute of Maastricht University. In the outpatient clinic and various nursing homes in Limburg, she guides and treats patients (and their loved ones) with Huntington's disease. 

  • martin van boxtel

    Healthy minds: Martin van Boxtel looks back on a 30-year career at UM

    Ageing well isn’t just about physique. It also means being aware of a healthy brain. To prevent dementia, Martin van Boxtel and his colleagues from ‘Alzheimer Centrum Limburg’ founded the Maastricht Ageing Study (MAAS) 30 years ago. MAAS kept track of 2043 people over 25 years in a longitudinal...

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