Cools vividly remembers her first encounter with the DCCN. She visited as a young researcher in the early 2000s. “I remember walking in here and thinking: wow, this is where we need to be. The scanners that were fully available for research, the expertise and the energy – that was unique in the Netherlands.” Nevertheless, she initially opted for a postdoc abroad. In 2007, after nine years in Cambridge and Berkeley, she returned to Nijmegen because she believed it was the best place to conduct cognitive neuroscience research, and she was pleased with her decision: ‘After one day, I knew: I'm going to stay here for a long time.’
From 2008 onwards, she saw the centre rapidly expand into the broader Donders Institute. "The move to a broader institute that integrated the unique infrastructure and expertise of the neuroimaging centre with the strength of the many other cognitive and/or neuroscientists elsewhere on campus was incredibly smart, both strategically and scientifically. It is at the interfaces between disciplines and established structures that new ideas arise. You could see the effect immediately: at international conferences, the rows of red Donders posters grew longer every year and the Donders brand became world-famous."
Excellence requires movement
The DCCN is internationally renowned for its excellence. But success can also make you comfortable, warns Cools. ‘When you are successful, it is tempting to rest on your laurels. The trick is to remain curious about each other's questions and expertise.’
According to her, the future lies in further integration. "It's not just about more data or larger samples, but about connecting levels and time scales: from molecules to behaviour in the wild, and from change on the scale of milliseconds to development over the course of a lifetime. With new technologies such as the 14 Tesla MRI scanner and ultrasound neuromodulation, we will soon be able to take some truly fantastic new steps, for example towards “closed loop” models in which measurement and manipulation come together."
According to Cools, the basis of the research remains clear: ‘We are and will remain a fundamental scientific centre. Research into the brain, driven by curiosity, is our core activity. The social impact follows from this, for example in the areas of mental health, decision-making or artificial intelligence. But it starts with curiosity-driven questions.’
Thanks to Alan Sanfey
Cools is very appreciative of her predecessor. ‘Alan has meant an incredible amount to the DCCN. After the departure of several key figures, little was set down on paper. Much of the knowledge was in people's heads. He further professionalised the centre and established sustainable structures.’
She also emphasises his role in the culture of the centre. ‘Alan has always been strongly committed to community building. The joint meetings, the feeling that we are doing this together, have remained so strong thanks in part to him. The DCCN is warm, authentic and sincere. We must cherish that.’
What can people expect from her?
When asked what colleagues can expect from her as a leader, Cools does not need to think long. ‘I'm just going to be myself. I am an enthusiastic scientist and have a big heart for Donders and for this campus.’ She combines that enthusiasm with clarity and a good listening ear. That is necessary for connection: ‘This building houses researchers from all kinds of disciplines. That is enormous potential. That potential is already paying off, but I want to strengthen that connection even further, both within the centre and externally.’
Taking on this role feels like coming home to her. ‘This is where my roots lie. There are major challenges in science and in public debate. So I think: let's contribute to that together from here.’
With Roshan Cools, the DCCN is gaining a scientific director who knows the centre inside out and is determined to shape the next phase of this excellent centre together.
