Assistant Professor
Strategic program(s):
Biography
Finely coordinated movements come natural to most of us; we can maintain balance and walk around, professional athletes control their bodies with extreme precision, and we perform everyday movements subconsciously and with ease. The crucial importance of this movement coordination becomes painfully clear in patients suffering from movement disorders. However, how we are able to control our movements, and what exactly goes awry in these patients, remains largely unknown. This gap in our understanding prevents us from finding treatments for thousands of patients suffering from some form of motor coordination disease in The Netherlands.
My research focuses on the development of the structure and function of neural networks involved in movement coordination, with a focus on the cerebellum and connected structures. The cerebellum plays an essential role in the coordination of movements, but also in cognition. Early-life damage to the brain often leads motor control issues and cognitive problems, but how these issues are caused is not yet clear. By investigating the development of the network structure and function of the brain I aim to contribute to the understanding of the development of movement control and cognition. Ultimately I hope to contribute to the development of earlier and better diagnosis and therapies for patients with early brain damage.
