Regenerative medicine for the human cornea

The cornea is the clear window that let’s light into the eye allowing for a proper eyesight. Despite seeming a rather simple tissue it is composed of different layers that are crucial to its structure and function. In this talk we will cover novel regenerative medicine approaches to repair the human cornea upon its damage.

Pere Catala Quilis

PhD Candidate

MERLN institute and MUMC+

Lifestyle and Alzheimer’s disease

We know that not smoking, drinking little alcohol, eating well and being active is good for our overall health, but did you know that these factors may also affect our risk of developing dementia? Research has shown clear links between (un)healthy lifestyle and dementia. However, it is less clear if and how lifestyle is related to the brain damage that is characteristic for Alzheimer’s disease. Insight into this relation will help us to better understand the development of the disease and may contribute to the development of interventions. We are currently exploring this question in a very large database that includes participants from research and memory centers across the world. In this talk, we will dive into this topic and discuss which lifestyle factors may be associated with the brain damage characteristic for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Julie Oomens

PhD Candidate

Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University

Our human body…in Space

Since the pioneering voyages into Space, exposure to near-weightlessness (i.e. microgravity) has been reported to negatively affect living organisms, including the human body. Some well-known effects on astronaut physiology are accelerated bone loss, muscle degeneration and impaired immune response. Space medicine aims at understanding the biological effects of microgravity exposure so that countermeasures can be developed and thus prepare humankind for longer endeavors in Space. Additionally, Space research also brings countless benefits to society back on Earth. Do you want to know more? Then, come aboard this journey through the foundations of Space medicine, its main challenges and future perspectives.

Daniel Carvalho
PhD Candidate

MERLN institute and MUMC+