The Create2Solve program

Posted by Admin on May 2021

It is a great pleasure to announce that Femke de Vrij will receive a grant from ZonMw within the Create2Solve program.

This prestigious grant is a follow-up of the Phase 1 proof-of-concept study awarded last year, to continue Phase 2 of this project for 5 years with a 1M€ subsidy. Together with Steven Kushner and a talented team of researchers (KUSHNERLAB), a 3D model will be developed with human brain cells that can simulate the brain’s complex structure in early development. These micro-brains (3D MICro-brains) will reduce the modelling of the frontal cortex to its essence in a format of, literally, a millionth of the normal brain volume.
The platform contains all relevant brain cell types: functional neurons and glia in layered radial structures, including astrocytes, myelin-producing oligodendrocytes and microglia that play a crucial role in inflammatory processes in the brain.

Furthermore, this model is entirely animal-free and thus contributes to the transition to animal-free research. Due to its scale and reproducibility, this platform is ideally suited for automated applications in drug development and research, which will be further elaborated with industry partner Core Life Analytics that will add automated, high-resolution image processing to this project.

For more information, see: ZonMw

'From surgery to active surveillance in esophageal cancer patients (SANO-2 study).'

Posted by Admin on May 2021



It is a great pleasure to announce that Leonieke Kranenburg, who in collaboration with colleagues from the department of Surgery, received a grant of 275k Euro for the study 'From surgery to active surveillance in esophageal cancer patients (SANO-2 study)'.

The grant was approved by an Erasmus MC Internal grant and the Zilveren Kruis (Theia Foundation and Foundation Achmea Gezondheidszorg).

Within this project, the departments Surgery and Psychiatry closely collaborate. Two PhD-candidates, a physician-researcher and psychologist will jointly investigate the clinical and psychological outcomes of an experimental non-invasive treatment for esophageal cancer patients. Next to outcomes with regard to the effectivity and safety of this active surveillance treatment, the project focuses on the practice of decision counseling and on the psychological outcomes of decisional regret, fear of cancer recurrence and quality of life in this patient group.

Connect2Grow projectteam

Posted by Admin on April 2021

Mijke Lambregtse-van den Berg, Hilmar Bijma en het Connect2Grow projectteam hebben een subsidie van 50.000 euro ontvangen binnen het SET COVID-19 2.0 programma van de overheid.

Connect2Grow is een leer- en verbeterproject waarbij zorgverleners samenwerken met ouders in de gemeente Rotterdam. Zij brengen samen in kaart wat nodig is, bij gezinnen in complexe kwetsbare omstandigheden, om een gezonde relatie met hun (ongeboren) baby op te bouwen. Het is een gezamenlijk project van het Erasmus MC Rotterdam (afdelingen Verloskunde, Psychiatrie en Kinder- en Jeugdpsychiatrie) en de gemeente Rotterdam, waarbij nauw wordt samengewerkt met andere instanties en zorgverleners in Rotterdam.

Met de komst van Covid-19 is er een grote urgentie om deze zorg ook meer digitaal te ondersteunen. Hiervoor heeft het Connect2Grow team in samenwerking met MijnKindOnline een zorgnetwerkmodule ontwikkeld om deze zorg digitaal te kunnen ondersteunen. Middels deze subsidie zal deze module ook in andere regio’s rond Rotterdam worden aangeboden, met als doel om dit uiteindelijk ook landelijk te kunnen gaan implementeren.

Zie voor meer informatie over het Connect2Grow project: www.connect2grow.info

The iBerry Study receives grant Stichting tot Steun VCVGZ

Posted by Admin on February 2021

We are pleased to inform you that dr. Nina Grootendorst received a grant from Stichting tot Steun VCVGZ for the study 'In the red – the relationship between debts and mental health among youth'. The project will be embedded in the iBerry Study and Susan Ravensbergen is appointed as a PhD student on this project.

Susan Ravensbergen - iBerry Study

Recent numbers show that one out of twelve Dutch households has registered, problematic debts. More specifically, during the past five years the number of young adults with debts has rapidly increased. Previous studies show a positive relationship between financial problems and mental health, suggesting a vicious circle that even seems to be passed on from one generation to the next. The exact relationship between debts and psychiatric symptoms still remains unclear. The transition into adulthood seems to be a crucial phase. During this period adolescents become legally responsible for their own financial matters and psychiatric problems often emerge at this age as well.

Due to the longitudinal nature of the iBerry Study, the researchers will be able to assess the mutual effects between debts and various forms of psychopathology and the development of both over time. Furthermore, they will explore how debts arise and which factors predict financial problems in youth. In this way they expect to find starting points to develop targeted policy and suitable care for adolescents who either develop psychiatric disorders, financial debts, or both.