The topic “brain” seems to be everywhere at the moment. Not strange as the brain is responsible for all your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. You are your brain!
Science is more and more able to decipher this brain, with newly developed brain scanning devices and complex computer algorithms. Reading thoughts, decoding dreams, predicting whether you will become a great football player or not. Everything is possible! Or is it…? Of all these wonderful ideas and innovations, some remarks and promises are reasonable, but others aren’t. How do you know the difference?
In a society, brains and brain research rightfully get a lot of attention, it is of growing importance to take care that this attention is focused on the right things. Where the media doesn’t always have the opportunity or resources to elaborate on “brain news”, science should jump in. We would like to offer you the opportunity to learn about the brain. Therefore, we will regularly present the newest brain research on this website from all over the world, in an accessible and scientifically responsible way. Brainmatters has won several Dutch national prizes and appeared on Dutch radio and TV.
About us The project Brainmatters started as a submission to the Academic Year Competition 2011. Job van den Hurk, Tom de Graaf en Michelle Moerel, all (previous) researchers of the Faculty of Neuroscience and Psychology of Maastricht University founded the website and continued to run it. In 2022 they decided to hand it over to a new group of researchers and students in neuroscience that love to share their passion and knowledge with you. We introduce them below.
You can reach us via: contact.brainmatters@gmail.com
Anneke Terneusen
Anneke is a fourth-year PhD candidate at FPN, Maastricht University + brain injury center Limburg. She investigates self-awareness in people with and without brain injury.
Pauline van Gils
Pauline is a PhD researcher at both Maastricht University (Brain Injury Center Limburg) and the University of Twente. Her research focuses on developing a treatment for people with brain damage after cardiac arrest.
Joyce Burger
Joyce is a Research Master student with a specialization in Neuropsychology at the University of Maastricht. Her interests lie mostly in trying to find strategies that target the gut-brain-axis, and restore stress as well as immunologic processes in various neuropsychological disorders.
Thomas von Rein
Thomas is an alumni of the Maastricht Science Programme (MSP) and currently pursuing a masters in cognitive neuroscience at University College London. He has a great interest in research into topics such as the functions of dopamine, and furthering our understanding of consciousness.
Melanie Smekal
Melanie is currently in her last year of the Research Master in Cognitive Neuroscience at Maastricht University. She is passionate about topics such as education and learning, sexuality, and the intersection between physics and philosophy in the research of phenomenal consciousness.
Sophie Ruppert
Sophie just started her Master in Neuropsychology at Maastricht University. She is especially intrigued by the functioning and dysfunctioning of the brain once it has been damaged and how complex and versatile the consequences can be.
Kobus Lampe
Kobus is a psychologist and PhD candidate working for Mondriaan Maastricht & Maastricht University. In his job he applies non-invasive brain stimulation in the clinical field and as well as in healthy participants.
Loes Beckers
Loes is a junior researcher (PhD candidate) at the Radboud UMC, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour of Radboud University in Nijmegen and Cochlear Ltd in Belgium. She investigates what cognitive functions can explain variability in speech perception performance in adults with severe to profound hearing loss, that use cochlear implants (advanced hearing aids).
Our Database
Want to know more?
In the database you can find information on a large collection of terms used in neuroscience.
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