Professor Reinoud Gosens receives Open Competition Science-M grant

Professor Reinoud Gosens of the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP) has received an Open Competition Science-M grant from the NWO worth EUR 323,000. The grant is for his project 'Modelling mast cell-neuron interactions driving neuroplasticity'.

M-grants are intended for innovative, high quality, fundamental research and/or studies involving matters of scientific urgency.

Modelling mast cell-neuron interactions driving neuroplasticity

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) plays crucial roles in physiology and disease. Neuro-effector communication and neuroplasticity of the PNS are poorly studied, since suitable models are lacking. The emergence of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has great promise to resolve this deficit. Gosens will use hPSC-derived PNS neurons, integrated into organ-on-a-chip systems allow co-cultures with cells of the local microenvironment to study neuro-effector interactions and to probe mechanisms underlying neuroplasticity.

NWO Open Competition Domain Science-M

M-grants are intended for realising curiosity-driven, fundamental research of high quality and/or scientific urgency. The M-grant offers researchers the possibility to elaborate creative and risky ideas and to realise scientific innovations that can form the basis for the research themes of the future.