Sabine Spijker facts for kids
Sabine Spijker is a Dutch scientist who studies the brain. She is a full professor and leads a research team at VU University Amsterdam.
Dr. Spijker's team studies how brain conditions affect how we think. These conditions include things like depression, addiction, and impulsivity. Her research helps us understand how these problems change the brain.
Her Journey in Science
Sabine Spijker earned her Master of Science degree in 1994. She studied Molecular Neurobiology at VU University Amsterdam. This means she learned about the brain at a very tiny, molecular level.
In 1999, she received her PhD in Neuroscience from the same university. After that, Dr. Spijker continued her advanced research. She worked at the Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire in Strasbourg. She also did more research at VU University Amsterdam.
What She Does Now
The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) gave Dr. Spijker a special grant called a Vici grant. This money helped her continue her important research. She studies the brain changes that keep depression going.
Since 2004, she has been a team leader at a special research center at VU University Amsterdam. In 2006, she joined the Animal Welfare committee. This group makes sure that animals used in research are treated well.
Dr. Spijker became a full professor in 2012. This was part of a program that supports women in science. In 2014, she started leading a research program called ‘Mood, Anxiety and Psychosis’. This program focuses on brain conditions like depression and anxiety. She also became the main editor of Amsterdam Science, a magazine that shares research from her center.
