Research Projects

An expanded GGGGCC repeat in a non-coding region of the C9orf72 gene is the most common known cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The repeat RNA is transcribed and accumulates in neuronal RNA aggregates, implicating RNA toxicity as a key pathogenic mechanism. However, the pathways that lead to...

The calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) is a class C Gprotein-coupled receptor that plays a pivotal role in systemic calcium metabolism by regulating parathyroid hormone secretion and urinary Ca excretion. Abnormal CaSR function is implicated in calciotropic disorders, and in non-calciotropic disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), cardiovascular...

Small soluble protein aggregates play a key role in the onset and spreading of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. However, which oligomers are present in human disease and which are toxic remains unknown because ultrasensitive methods do not exist to detect and characterise the low concentration of oligomers, which are highly heterogeneous in...

Small soluble protein aggregates play a key role in the onset and spreading of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. However, which oligomers are present in human disease and which are toxic remains unknown because ultrasensitive methods do not exist to detect and characterise the low concentration of oligomers, which are highly heterogeneous...

People with dementia and their care partners are often dissatisfied with the process of diagnosis, communication and recommendations after diagnosis. We aim to design with people with dementia, their care partners and clinicians recommendations and campaigns for all concerned on how to improve diagnostic process and post-diagnostic care in Europe...

Common mechanisms and pathways in Stroke and Alzheimer's disease. It has long been recognized that stroke and (Alzheimer’s Disease) AD often co-occur and have an overlapping pathogenesis. As such, these two diseases are not considered fellow travelers, but rather partners in crime. This multidisciplinary consortium includes epidemiologists...

The COVID pandemic can be seen as an experiment done with the entirety of humankind (as almost everybody has been or will get infected with SARS-CoV-2). It will therefore have the best coverage over the widest variation possible and is therefore ideally suited to study the effects of infections with SARS-CoV-2 on large quantities of heterogeneous...

Virtually every decision people make comes with a sense of confidence – a subjective estimate of decision quality. The human capacity for confidence has tremendous social, clinical, and industrial impact. For example, children who can correctly judge their own level of confidence perform better academically. In the elderly, confidence declines...

CHANCES aims at combining and integrating on-going cohort studies in order to produce evidence on ageing-related health characteristics and determinants in Europe, and their socio-economic implications. 15 cohorts participate, covering populations from 18 EU Member States, 4 associate countries, and 3 additional countries. The combination of these...

Pericytes, located at intervals along capillaries, have recently been revealed as major controllers of brain blood flow. Normally, they dilate capillaries in response to neuronal activity, increasing local blood flow and energy supply. But in pathology they have a more sinister role. After artery block causes a stroke, the brain suffers from the...

The objective of the Coordination Action JUMPAHEAD is to support the implementation of the pilot Joint Programming Initiative on combating neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (JPND). Neurodegenerative disorders are incurable and debilitating conditions that result in progressive degeneration or death of nerve cells. Of...

Mental health and emotional well-being during old age (60\) should be regarded as important as at any other time of a persons’ life. Older people are more likely to experience events that affect emotional well-being, such as bereavement or disability. Unfortunately, mental health problems are under identified in older people, whom themselves are...