I am an assistant professor in Behavioural Neuroscience, in a tenure track with an educational profile. My research background is in the neurobiology of epilepsy – I used to study the processes underlying epileptogenesis, with a focus on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Currently I am studying the mTOR pathway in a different context: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Both epilepsy and ASD are associated with (or characterized by) altered synaptic signaling, which is basically my overarching research interest: how neurons communicate with each other. There are many different factors that interfere with neuronal communication. I am fascinated by how those factors relate to neurological, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Most of my time is dedicated to teaching and developing education for courses in BSc programmes Biology, Life Science and Technology, Pharmacy, and University College Groningen, and in the MSc programmes Biomedical Sciences and Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences.

Courses that I am involved in:

• Minor Congress (coordinator)
• Human Physiology (coordinator)
• Psychobiology (coordinator)
• Physiology (coordinator)
• Minor Neuroscience (RUG minor)
• Neurobiology (UCG)
• Principles of Physiology (LST)
• Research Skills
• and I supervise BSc and MSc theses, colloquia and projects.

For the BSc Biology I am chair of the Program Committee and of the committee ‘Activating Student Learning in year 1’.