Dr. Sharon Kolk
Associate Professor of Developmental Neurobiology
After my graduation in the field of Neuroendocrinology at the University of Utrecht I started my PhD at the Radboud University Nijmegen. After graduation, I went to the US to do a postdoc at the Yale University Medical School, followed by a postdoc position at the Rudolf Magnus Brain Institute in Utrecht. In 2009, I started my lab at the Radboud University Nijmegen focusing on the molecular and cellular underpinnings of developing brain areas. Currently PI of several large collaboration grants such as the NWA-ORC ProMiSe, ITN Serotonin&BEYOND and BRAINCHAIN.
Dr. Jasper Visser, MD
Neurologist and visiting researcher
I am a neurologist, specialized in movement disorders, and a medical biologist. I graduated in Biology and Medicine at Utrecht University and trained as a neurologist at RadboudUMC. At the same time, I did a PhD at Radboud university focusing on the role of certain brain regions (the 'basal ganglia') in the control of posture and balance. Later I joined the Kolk lab as a researcher studying brain development, particularly of dopamine neurons and their role in Lesch-Nyhan disease — a metabolic disorder with unique neurobehavioral features — in order to contribute to future treatment strategies. Bridging clinical neurology and neuroscience is a major objective in my work.
Marta Samina, MSc
PhD candidate
marta.canelasfariasamina@donders.ru.nl
Jurjan Havelaar, MSc
PhD candidate
jurjan.havelaar2@donders.ru.nl
I graduated from the University of Wageningen with a bachelor's degree in Biology - specialization in human and animal health biology. After my bachelor's, I moved to Nijmegen where I obtained a master's degree in Medical Biology at the Radboud University. I first joined the Kolk lab during my master's as an intern and then as a PhD in 2021. My PhD project aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the neurodevelopmental disorder Lesch-Nyhan disease, with a special focus on the timing of pathogenic events.