Bioengineering Center Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
A fundamental challenge in modern science is to understand how the brain functions in health and disease. We are interested in elucidating the mechanisms leading to neurological diseases and ageing, in particular stroke and dementia.
A fundamental challenge in modern science is to understand how the brain functions in health and disease. We are interested in elucidating the mechanisms leading to neurological diseases and ageing, in particular stroke and dementia.
Our Research
Our laboratory is interested in understanding key mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration after acute brain injuries: stroke and dementia. To this quest, we take a multidisciplinary approach by using advanced neuroscience imaging, genetic engineering, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.
While many diseases affect the entire body, research is usually conducted on the tissue of interest. To overcome potential bias, and discover previously unnoticed essential cellular and molecular mechanisms in health and disease, we use a holistic approach. Towards this goal, we have developed novel tissue transparency methods allowing 3D histology on intact organisms. We can now collect information on cells at sub-cellular levels in whole organ and organisms without sectioning. Obtained imaged data for example can for the first time present complete neuronal connectivity at single neuronal level, and determine what goes wrong in neurological diseases.