Vidi for Mireille Claessens (MESA+)

It was announced on Tuesday that Mireille Claessens from the MESA+ research institute has been awarded a Vidi grant of 800,000 euros to set up her own line of research and her own research group.

This week the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) awarded Vidi grants of up to 800,000 euros to young, innovative researchers. The money will enable them to develop their own line of research for five years and build up their own research group. Mireille Claessens of UT was one of the happy recipients. Mireille, who has been investigating the origins of Parkinsons's Disease, was proud and delighted: "I am really very happy. I heard the news on Friday and I spread the word right away." On Tuesday morning, when the NWO published the names, her department Biophysical Engineering laid on a champagne breakfast for her.

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Disease is a neuro-degenerative disorder which causes the nerve cells in the brain to die prematurely. It is accompanied by many physical, psychological and social problems. The patients are affected by sluggishness, tremors, depression, dementia, pain, incontinence, sleeplessness and frequent falls (often with serious injuries). Large lumps of protein are found in the brain cells of Parkinson patients.

Mireille Claessens' research

Mireille's research centres on the accumulation of the protein α-synuclein. No-one knows yet how the lumps of protein actually form but it is certain that α-synuclein plays a key role and may be the cause of the disease.

Possible steps in the formation of α-synuclein clots

Claessens studied the process leading to the formation of the lumps, particularly the last two large structures (see Figure): "We are trying to unravel the process and hope to discover exactly what is going on in the cell".
The grant will enable her to employ two research assistants and an analyst to start her own research group in 2010.

Innovational Research Incentive Scheme

The Vidi grant is one of three personal grants in the Innovational Research Incentive Scheme. The Vidi is for outstanding researchers who have conducted successful research for several years after gaining their PhD. The other two grants, Veni and Vici, are awarded to new PhDs and very experienced researchers respectively. The words Veni, Vidi and Vici are, of course, borrowed from Julius Caesar: 'I came, I saw, I conquered.'
Another five Venis have recently been awarded to UT researchers.

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