Mark Verheijen

Mark Verheijen is an Associate Professor of 'Glial-regulated Neuronal Plasticity' at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), affiliated with the Faculty of Science and Amsterdam Neuroscience. He leads the Neuron-Glia Interactions research team at the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), and directs the VU's Master's program in Neurosciences.

Education: PhD in Developmental Biology (Utrecht University, 1997), postdoctoral training at Netherlands Cancer Institute and Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Research focuses on astrocyte roles in synapse regulation, Alzheimer's disease, and stress-related neurological disorders. Uses in vitro/in vivo models including neuron-glial cocultures and mouse models.

Recent research emphasizes glial-neuronal interactions in learning/memory, synaptic plasticity in disease contexts, and translational studies on Alzheimer's pathogenesis. Key themes include lipid metabolism pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, and synaptic remodeling mechanisms.

Current courses taught include Neuron-Glia Interactions, Molecular Cell Biology, and Neuroscience modules. Active in mentoring PhD students through supervised theses.