Prof. dr. Matthijs Brouwer – Amsterdam UMC & University of Amsterdam
Matthijs Brouwer, Professor of Neurology at the University of Amsterdam since 2023 and neurologist at Amsterdam UMC, is one of the 39 researchers awarded a personal Vici grant by NWO. Within the team of neurologists, Brouwer focuses on the diagnostics of neurological infectious diseases. At the research institute Amsterdam Neuroscience, he bridges the gap between clinic and research in his role as program leader of the Neuroinfection and Inflammation Program.
Brouwer receives his Vici grant for the SPEED project: ‘Simple and Prompt Encephalitis and mEningitis Diagnostics (SPEED)’. His goal is to improve the diagnostics of brain infections, because faster is better.
Infections of the brain are life-threatening but can be difficult to diagnose because there is a limited number of tests available in cerebrospinal fluid to guide physicians. As a consequence, the time to the correct diagnosis is often too long, and there is a delay until patients receive the proper treatment. In this project, Brouwer will develop novel, simple, faster, and affordable tests to decrease the time to the correct diagnosis and thereby improve the outcome for patients with brain infections.
NWO’s Talent Programme consists of the Vici, Veni, and Vidi grants. Vici is one of the largest scientific grants for individuals in the Netherlands and is intended for advanced researchers. This funding enables scientists to set up their own innovative line of research and put together their own research group.
Other notable awards in the neuroscience field are:
- Valeria Gazzola (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience), who wants to uncover how empathy inhibits aggression with the project What Stops Us from Hurting Others: Insights from Brain Research.
- Willem Frankenhuis (University of Amsterdam), who studies mental abilities in stressful environments via an integrative approach.
Source: NWO
Picture by Digidaan