With her specialism in proteostatic stress mechanisms in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases Wiep Scheper studies the ability of brain cells to protect themselves against damage. In her oration on February 28, 2025, at the VU Amsterdam, professor Scheper will explain the lessons learned from brain cells in balance and resilience.

In diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, brain cells are lost due to the clumping of proteins. Brain cells need to last a lifetime, which means they must be highly resilient in coping with such severe disruptions of balance. The research of Professor Wiep Scheper, who specializes in Proteostatic Stress and Neurodegeneration, focuses on the clever strategies that brain cells have developed to protect themselves against the damage caused by protein aggregates. By gaining a better understanding of these resilience pathways, we can use the lessons learned from brain cells to restore balance in patients.

"Research requires a new generation of scientists who are given the freedom to conduct truly original and innovative work. To find these top researchers, it is essential to have an open perspective on diversity, starting with improving gender balance. To find a solution for neurodegenerative diseases, there must be a well-balanced collaboration between fundamental and clinical researchers—working together toward a cure!" said Professor Proteostatic Stress and Neurodegeneration Scheper.

About Wiep Scheper

Professor Scheper, trained as an RNA biologist at Utrecht University, started working on the export of misfolded proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum during her time at Cambridge University, UK, and developed a strong research program in Amsterdam that investigates the role of proteostasis in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. Since 2013, Dr. Scheper is a principal investigator at the Functional Genomics Department at the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR) at VU Amsterdam. She has built a multidisciplinary team and a prominent international reputation in the field, with excellent publications and strong external funding. Dr. Scheper is also a familiar face in national media for outreach activities, laymen talks, and fundraisers.

The inaugural lecture ‘Balance and Resilience: Lessons from Brain Cells’ of Wiep Scheper will take place today, February 28, 2025 from 15:45 at the Aula of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. It can also be watched via this link.