VU University Medical Center
VU University Medical Center
Department of Psychiatry
AJ Ernststraat 1187
1081 HL Amsterdam
Netherlands
Prof. Dr. Brenda Penninx
VU University Medical Center
Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology
Phone: + 31 20 788 5674
Fax: + 31 20 788 5666
Dr. Pieter Jelle Visser
VUmc Department of Neurology | Alzheimer center
Visiting address: De Boelelaan 1118, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Phone: + 31 20 444 0679
Fax: + 31 20 444 8529
Dr. Yolande Pijnenburg
VUmc Department of Neurology | Alzheimer center
Phone: + 31 20 444 0816
Fax: + 31 20 444 8529
This project will be embedded at the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology (Alzheimer center) of the VU University Medical Center (VUMC). VUMC is a part of VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. VU University currently comprises fifteen faculties, caters for 12000 students and contains world-class research facilities.
The Department of Psychiatry is a strong, multidisciplinary department with 9 professors, over 20 postdoctoral researchers and assistant professors, 50 PhD-students, and many clinical staff members. The VUmc Alzheimer center is part of the department of Neurology of the VUmc. Staff includes 5 neurologists, 2 specialized nurses, 2 senior researchers, 5 postdoctoral fellows and more than 25 PhD students. The Alzheimer center closely collaborates with many departments and disciplines, including the departments of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Neurophysiology, Geriatrics, Psychiatry, and Medical Psychology.
Research is embedded in two world-class interdisciplinary, interfaculty Research Institutes, both ranked as “excellent” by International Review Committees:
1. EMGO+ Institute for Care and Health Research (www.emgo.nl): leaders in epidemiological and clinical research. In 2013, members published 1124 refereed articles. For publications between 2008 and 2011, the scientific impact of EMGO+ research was 58% above world average in the respective research field.
2. Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam (NCA, www.neurosciencecampus-amsterdam.nl): leaders in neurobiological and genetic research. In 2013, over 20% of the 510 peer-reviewed publications from NCA researchers were in the highest impact journals (IF~9 or higher). 46% were in the top 10% of journals. 80% were in the top 25% of journals.
Mental health is a key research programme at each institute, both lead by Professor Penninx. Both institutes support the development of researchers, offering postgraduate training in epidemiology, statistics and neuroscience.