October 31st queen Maxima visited the department of Anatomy & Neurosciences in Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc. After visiting the Imaging Center and some labs, she concluded her visit with an expert meeting on how research can lead to improvement in neuroscience and mental health care. Researchers and psychiatrists Hein van Marle and Christiaan Vinkers, also working for the department of psychiatry, were present at this meeting.

Christiaan Vinkers: “We discussed how within the department scientists from different disciplines work together with healthcare providers and patients to look at traditional psychiatric diagnoses in an innovative, translational way. From brain networks and molecular markers to experience and recovery: there are still many challenges ahead. We talked about the role of stress and sleep, about the stigma that still exists in psychiatric illnesses, but also about how we look at the future. It was a positive, constructive and inspiring meeting.”