Rik van der Kant

Rik van der Kant is an Assistant Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, affiliated with the Faculty of Science's Functional Genomics department and Amsterdam Neuroscience's Neurodegeneration program. His research focuses on lipid metabolism, Apolipoprotein E (APOE), and their roles in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. He investigates cellular mechanisms involving cholesterol dynamics, endosomal trafficking, and stem cell-derived models to understand disease pathogenesis.

Key research interests include APOE variants' protective effects, lipid droplet biology, and the interplay between cholesterol and amyloid-beta/tau pathologies. He contributes to initiatives like the Neurolipid Atlas, a lipidomics resource for neurodegenerative diseases. His work spans molecular mechanisms to translational drug repurposing, such as exploring efavirenz for Alzheimer's therapy.

Van der Kant teaches courses on Neuron and Glia Cell Biology and Medical Genomics. He collaborates internationally, co-authoring reviews on APOE's role in immunity and lipid metabolism. His publications highlight advancements in iPSC-derived neuron applications for neurodegeneration studies, emphasizing both technical limitations and therapeutic potential.

His research integrates multi-omic analyses of isogenic iPSC-derived glial cells to uncover cell-type specific dysregulation in Alzheimer's. He also explores exercise-induced muscle-brain lipid axis effects in disease models. Despite his extensive contributions, no specific scientific awards are listed in the provided materials.