Roger Adan

Roger Adan is a Full Professor in Molecular Pharmacology at Utrecht University, affiliated with the Brain strategic program. His research focuses on neurobiological mechanisms underlying eating disorders and decision-making processes. He holds external roles as committee member for animal testing innovations (NCAD-RVO), guest professor at Sahlgrenska Academy (Gothenburg), and scientific advisor at Altrecht-Rintveld Eating Disorders Clinic.

Education: Roger Adan earned his PhD in 1992 on vasopressin and oxytocin gene expression regulation.

Research interests include molecular pathways of feeding behavior, obesity, and eating disorders, employing techniques like optogenetics, in vivo electrophysiology, and automated behavioral analysis. His lab investigates neural circuits governing anxiety, anhedonia, impulsivity, and reward-seeking behavior, with a translational focus on clinical interventions for anorexia nervosa.

Recent publications span brain activation responses to food cues, neuronal ensembles in reward/stress behaviors, neurotechnology for signal measurement, nutrition policy for brain health, and GLP-1 receptor pharmacology.

• Awards/Grants:
  • NWO-VIDI grant (2002-)
  • ZOnMW-TOP grant
  • TI Pharma grants (PI/co-PI)
  • FP7 Program collaborations

Advising/grants: Active in multidisciplinary grant collaborations and translational research bridging preclinical and clinical studies. His lab is part of the 'Neural circuit function' research group, emphasizing multidisciplinary innovation.