School for Mental Health and Neuroscience

The School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs) 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 .

Fast facts

three research divisions
coordinator of large European research networks
focused on the development of new therapies
from fundamental neuroscience to applied neuropsychiatric strategies
led by Dr. D. Linden

MHeNs website

Research

To perform research at every level, from the cellular to human, MHeNs is organised into three research lines:

Cognitive Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience – generates new insights into the neurocognitive and neurobehavioural mechanisms in order to improve treatment and care for people with cognitive disorders and other neurological disorders
Mental Health – focusses on the mechanisms through which interactions between individuals and their environments contribute to the development of mental disorder and the impact of mental health services on morbidity
Neuroscience – uncovers the underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative and regenerative processes to improve health and to provide solutions to cure neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Depression, Movement Disorders and Pain

Education

MHeNs is involved in the curricula of several international master's and research master's programmes of both the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences and the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. Internships for students are offered on a broad range of topics within the field of mental health and basic neuroscience. They are also offered independently of the master programme.

26 MHENS v1-HD.mp4

Frans Verhey

“Alzheimer was traditionally seen as one uniform concept, but its heterogeneity is now increasingly recognized. In addition, Alzheimer is closely related to various aging mechanisms. This opens new targets for treatment that were ignored so far.”

Read a Dutch interview with Frans Verhey

Thérèse van Amelsvoort

"We aim to understand the etiology of mental disorders by using dimensional approaches applied to ecological, psychological and biological systems. This offers opportunities to develop more individualized treatments and accurate predictive markers that could improve an individual’s quality of life".

Read a Dutch interview with Thérèse van Amelsvoort

Jos Prickaerts

“Our aim is to come up with innovative preventions, diagnoses and treatments for disorders of the nervous system. For this purpose we invest in an innovative research environment to study and unravel the biological and pathological mechanisms from the level of the gene up to behaviour“.

Read a Dutch interview with Jos Prickaerts

Center for Integrative Neuroscience launched
Wednesday, March 21, 2018

CIN new interfaculty cooperation for Integrative Neuroscience launched

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Rubicon grants for two UM researchers
Friday, April 21, 2017

Sandra Schipper and Mark van den Hurk, who both took their PhD in December 2016, received a Rubicon grant from research financing institution NWO. This grant gives young, highly promising researchers the opportunity to gain international research experience

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Explorer of the brain
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
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- From Human Neuroanatomy to Psychopathology
  June 11-14, 2018.
  From Human Neuroanatomy to Psychopathology | MHeNS School for Mental Health and Neuroscience
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  3 weeks 6 days ago
- First Annual Meeting PAIN-Net, April 20-23, 2018.
  First Annual Meeting PAIN-Net | MHeNS School for Mental Health and Neuroscience
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  3 weeks 6 days ago
- We would like to invite you for our weekly lecture division Neuroscience on Tuesday 30-01-2018 at 16.00 till 17.00, location: azM / Flendrigzaal 4.G2.020
  
  Lecture by: Milaine Roet
  Title: ‘‘Microcircuits in an animal model of depression and advanced neuromodulation as possible intervention’’
  
  Moderator: Dean Paes
  
  Note: since 2018 we have a new time slot for our lectures (start: 16:00 hrs.)
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  2 months 3 weeks ago
- PhD Defense Sau May Wong
  January 30, 2018: 16.00 hrs.
  Promotores: Prof.dr. W. Backes, Prof.dr. R. van Oostenbrugge.
  Co-promotor: Dr. J. Jansen.
  Title: “Advances in Microvasculair MRI Techniques: Breaking the Pathophysiological Barriers in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease”
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  3 months 5 days ago
- We would like to invite you for our weekly lecture division Neuroscience on Tuesday 23-01-2018 at 16.00 till 17.00, location: azM / 4th floor - Greepzaal.
  
  Lecture by: Dean Paes
  Title: ‘‘PDE4 isoforms in Alzheimer’s Disease: why, which, where and how’’
  
  Note: since 2018 we have a new time slot for our lectures (start: 16:00 hrs.)
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  3 months 5 days ago
- Photoimpression of our Annual Research Day | November 29th, 2017 Hotel van der Valk Maastricht
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  4 months 2 weeks ago
- PhD Defense Steven Honings
  December 22, 2017: 14.00 hrs.
  Promotor: Prof.dr. J. van Os;
  Co-promotor: Dr. M. Drukker
  Title: “Exploring psychosis and multidirectional violence: a prospective study in the general population”
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  4 months 3 weeks ago
- PhD Defense Eline de Clerck
  December 22, 2017: 12.00 hrs.
  Promotores: Prof.dr. C.A.B. Webers, Prof.dr. C.D.A. Stehouwer
  Co-promotor: Dr. J.S.A.G. Schouten
  Title: “Ocular neurodegenerative changes and macular cysts in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes”
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  4 months 3 weeks ago
- PhD Defense Andrea Herrera Soto
  December 18, 2017: 15.30 hrs.
  Promotor: Prof.dr. H.W.M. Steinbusch
  Co-promotores: Prof.dr. Juan Segura-Aquilar; Prof. G. Diaz-Veliz, Santiago of Chile
  Title: “Aminochrome, an endotoxin for inducing a new rat model of Parkinson’s Disease”
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  4 months 3 weeks ago
- PhD Defense Carsten Leue
  December 14, 2017: 12.00 hrs.
  Promotores: Prof.dr. J. van Os, Prof.dr. A. Masclee
  Co-promotores: Dr. J. Strik, Dr. J. Kruimel
  Title: “Hyperarousal in the Hospital and what to do about it: the MED-PSYCH-NET - a transitional network approach fostering personalized care in psychosomatic medicine”
  
  MHeNs School for Mental Health and Neuroscience via
  
  4 months 3 weeks ago