Testimonials
Curious about what it's like to study the Master's in Neurobiology? Read about the experiences of students, teachers and alumni below. What's the atmosphere like, what drives teachers and where will you end up?
Testimonials of students
Students come from diverse backgrounds, making the group compositions unique. The lectures by professors are very inspiring.
- Previous education
- MBO Laboratoriumonderzoek (Summa College Laboratorium Eindhoven), HBO Biologie en Medisch Laboratoriumonderzoek (Avans Hogeschool Breda), Pre-Master Medical Biology (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen)
- Programme
- Neurobiology
- Study start date
- Study end date
Student Kiki Nabers is pursuing the Master's in Medical Biology at Radboud University
What appeals to you about the Master's programme and why?
This Master's programme helps me fulfill my dream of conducting research as a neuroscientist. The academic skills provided by this programme are a valuable addition to the practical and theoretical knowledge I have gained during my vocational and higher education.
How do you experience the atmosphere within the programme?
It is great to interact with people who share the same passion for neuroscience! Students come from diverse backgrounds, making the group compositions unique. The lectures by professors are very inspiring. Additionally, researchers are easily approachable as Radboud University is connected to various institutes, such as the Donders Institute.
What do you find most challenging about the Master's (specialisation)? Are there any obstacles you encounter?
Each course has its own components, such as (writing) assignments, presentations, and exams. It may happen that deadlines for different courses coincide. Therefore, good organisational skills are crucial, not only to complete everything on time but also to maintain enough personal time. Personally, I often find it difficult to 'switch off' from my studies and should allocate more time for myself.
Why is it important to have individuals with this master's (specialisation) degree? What do you plan to do with it after completing your Master's?
There are numerous specialisations, such as cognitive, computational, molecular, or clinical neuroscience. A professor once told me: "It is impossible to become an expert in everything. Therefore, it is essential to specialise and share your expertise with other neuroscientists." Hence, after obtaining my master's degree, I am determined to make a valuable contribution to the world as a neuroscientist.
Testimonials of teachers and researchers
I find working in such an interdisciplinary environment, with people with completely different perspectives, very rewarding.
- Programme
- Neurobiology
Fleur Zeldenrust is an associate professor at Radboud University.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Fleur Zeldenrust. After a broad propedeuse (bèta-gamma in Amsterdam) and a BSc in physics and astronomy, I started a MSc in theoretical physics. I discovered that I found the brain a very interesting topic to study, but that I liked the tools and methods of physics. At the time, a MSc in the more theoretical aspects of neuroscience did not exist, but I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to more or less make my own program, existing of advanced mathematics (dynamical systems, signal analysis, modelling), but also biophysics and neuroscience. After my MSc, I started a PhD in computational neuroscience, during which I was already teaching neurophysiology and signal analysis. After a postdoc in Paris, I returned to Amsterdam to develop a track 'computational neuroscience' in the BSc program 'Psychobiology'. I started my lab in Nijmegen in 2016, after which I have been teaching and lecturing in Neurobiology, Neurophysics, Cognitive Neuroscience and AI. Next to that, I co-organize the yearly Brain Olympiad, and I started the 'BrainHelpDesk' platform, in which anyone can ask questions about the brain.
Why did you choose to study/work in this field? What makes this field so interesting?
I believe the brain is fascinating: we all have one, but we still don't quite know how it works! Neuroscience brings together people from very different backgrounds, from very exact (physics, biology, computer science) to social (psychology) to arts (linguistics, philosophy). I find working in such an interdisciplinary environment, with people with completely different perspectives, very rewarding. I still learn new things every day!
What do you like best about being a lecturer?
I find lecturing very inspiring. Often I get questions that show me a new perspective. I also like to convey the enthusiasm and curiosity that I feel myself as a scientist.
What are you currently doing your own research on?
The brain continuously processes information. The physical structure of the brain (its ‘hardware’) shapes this information processing and vice versa: the computations needed for information processing (the ‘software’) are adapted to the physical structure of the hardware. In my ‘Biophysics of Neural Computation’ group, we study the relationship between the physical properties of the brain and its information processing: how are neurons and networks formed so that they can perform functions such as perception? Which characteristics of neurons and networks enhance or limit information transfer? We as humans still strongly outperform machines and computers in tasks such as facial recognition or adaptation to changes in illumination. Understanding how the brain does this can help us improve the performance of such devices.
My group studies these questions using a variety of theoretical methods, from (biophysical) neural network modelling to abstract coding models and advanced data analysis of experimental data. We collaborate closely with experimental neuroscientists, studying neurons, networks, and behaviour, unraveling together the fundamental functions of the brain.
What advice do you have for students making their study choice?
Working on or studying a topic you are not interested in is very difficult, so choose initially something that you care about. However, sometimes what you care about can be the methods rather than the topic. I found out myself that I liked the methods of physics, but the topic of neuroscience. Finally, of course you don't have to like each and every subject: some courses you just need to get you where you want to go. Just do these the best you can, and they might grow on you!
In our society, there is a significant shortage of labor in healthcare and agriculture. With our products, we try to find solutions for this.
- Programme
- Neurobiology
A pill equipped with an ingestible sensor that can perform measurements in the stomach and intestines, or a new laser technique to measure the ripeness of fruit on the tree. These are just a few examples of developments that the staff at OnePlanet Research Center in Nijmegen and Wageningen are working on. Richard van Wezel, Director of Health at OnePlanet, discusses the unique collaboration among educational and research institutions.
Developing new digital technology for a healthy and sustainable world is the aim of OnePlanet, the multidisciplinary collaboration between Wageningen University & Research, Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), and Imec, a leading Belgian research center.
Sensor technology is one of the focal points. Since 1 January 2024, Richard van Wezel has been the Director of Health at the OnePlanet Research Center. He also works as a professor of Neuroscience at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, part of Radboud University Nijmegen.
Stimulating business activity
"OnePlanet was established five years ago with support from the Province of Gelderland to stimulate business activity and innovation. The beauty of this collaboration is that we develop things that we actually bring to market. With every idea we want to develop, we ask ourselves if there is a market for it: are people or companies willing to pay for it?" says Van Wezel.
"This is a very different starting point for university researchers compared to the research academics usually engage in."
Gut flora
A pill equipped with an ingestible sensor that measures and records the temperature in your stomach and intestines, among other things, and tracks how long food stays in your intestines, has already been tested on healthy volunteers. Work is still ongoing on a pill that can take a sample from your stomach or intestines for analysis, with the first human studies expected in 2025.
"These are important developments for better treating patients with chronic diseases such as Crohn's disease. But for other diseases, like Parkinson's, the gut flora plays an important role that affects your health. A sensor helps in diagnosing and in the optimisation and further development of medication."
Nitrogen sensor
Van Wezel also talks about the intensive work on new sensors for the food industry and agriculture.
"In our society, there is a significant shortage of labor in healthcare and agriculture. With our products, we try to find solutions for this. For example, we have developed a nitrogen sensor to perform measurements around a farm, and a laser technique to measure the ripeness of fruits in the orchard so you know when they can be picked. Another example is mapping an orchard in 3D, so you can indicate in advance to workers or a robot which branches need to be pruned. This saves time and labor and increases production."
One project
Not only is a lot of time and energy spent on developing the sensor, but careful handling of all collected data and ensuring privacy also require attention.
"Within OnePlanet, we work together with about a hundred employees. There are colleagues who deal with market research and business development, but also those who work on legislation, safety, and electronics. This means that together, we can conceive a product within a few years and actually bring it to market. That really is unique."
This testimonial previously appeared on TechGelderland.nl
Photo: Raphael Drent
Understanding the interaction of sleep and our memory systems is what I find so fascinating.
- Nationality
- German/US
- Programme
- Neurobiology
Lisa Genzel is an Associate professor - Neurobiology at Radboud University.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Lisa Genzel and I originally studied Medicine but now work in basic Neuroscience Research. I teach in the Biology Bachelor's and Master's (e.g. Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience Course) and supervise interns from a range of study backgrounds. I have been active for 20 years in my research field and 9 years here at Radboud University.
Why did you choose to study/work in this field? What makes this field so interesting?
I am trying to understand how we go from individual experiences to knowledge networks, especially the role sleep has to play in the process. Haven't you ever wondered why we spend 30% of our lives sleeping? Understanding the interaction of sleep and our memory systems is what I find so fascinating.
What are you currently doing your own research on?
We train rodents (and sometimes humans) to learn large environments and regularities therein. We combine this with molecular and electrophysiological methods (sometimes fMRI) to see how the brain learns and updates information.
What advice do you have for students making their study choice? And what is the best part of working with students?
Choose what makes you passionate and excited, then work and study can be a joy! To see students grow and gain resilience, confidence and skills is the best part of working with students for me.