Prof. Brigitte Adriaensen's research will focus on the perspectives on drugs in Latin America. Drugs play a key role in the cultural history of Latin America. They have fascinated travelers from Europe and North-America, but also within Latin America drugs have always been a popular subject. The project will focus on ayahuasca, peyote and coca(ine), the main psychoactive plants from the continent, intimately linked to different Latin American Indigenous cultures.
Adriaensen and her team will analyse written and oral sources from Latin America, Europe and the United States, but also rituals and exhibitions on these substances. The aim is to better understand the changing perceptions of drugs and to give Indigenous perspectives a central place within drug studies.
Two more grants
Two other recipients of a Vici-grant are Alexander Khajetoorians of Radboud University and Erno Hermans of Radboudumc.
Alexander Khajetoorians will investigate how the quantum nature of intertwined and interacting atoms can be used in creating materials that mimic the computational principles of the brain. This will be performed using the highest resolution microscopes in the country.
Erno Hermans and his team will do research into stress. Although stress-related mental health problems are common, the vast majority of people have good resilience to stress. We also know that some people become mentally stronger after stressful life events. This research aims to understand how people build this resilience. How do our brains change after stressful experiences? How do resilient people differ from vulnerable people? Can we predict who gains mental strength following stressful experiences?