Martien Kas, Ph.D.
Department Neuroscience & Pharmacology
Martien Kas wants to untangle how genetic and environmental factors during critical moments in life contribute to the development of neuropsychiatric diseases. Kas tries to solve this puzzle in two ways. First, he’s taking the candidate gene approach using genes identified in human genome wide association studies. Statistical associations need support from functional studies before genes can reliably and convincingly be linked with neurobiological processes underlying these diseases. That’s what Kas does in animal studies that allow control over genetic and environmental background.
In addition, he tries to answer the question the other way round. That is, moving from phenotype to genotype. In animals with specific behavioral characteristics, matching elements of human psychiatric disease, Kas looks for the genetic basis of these characteristics. This provides clues for biological mechanisms and ultimately new therapeutic targets.
Kas and colleagues use advanced technological tools to map mouse behavior. For example, automatized home cage registration of behavior reduces tedious ethological observation and objectivises the analysis. Using this technology they found a genetic link between human mood disorders and shelter-seeking behavior in mice.
“We offer students exciting and multi-disciplinary research possibilities in the field of biological psychiatry”, Kas says. Students typically work together with a PhD-student and join an existing project. Most of the time, two to three students are participating in my research group.
“Our research is truly translational”, Kas states. “Using homology between mouse and human we try to break down pyschiatric concepts into well-defined behavioral characteristics which can be therapeutically targeted. In close collaboration with clinicians, we work towards a better understanding of the hetereogenity in phenotypes observed in psychiatric diseases.”