As of November 1, 2021, Guus Smit, Director of the Center of Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research of VU Amsterdam, became the new co-director of Amsterdam Neuroscience. He will take over this role from Diederik van de Beek, neurologist and professor of neurology at Amsterdam UMC. Diederik van de Beek has been co-director right from the start of the Amsterdam Neuroscience research institute, six years ago.

A familiar face

Guus Smit has been a member of the management team of Amsterdam Neuroscience for a couple of years, but now he will step up to be the co-director in collaboration with Arjen Brussaard. With his experience as director of the Center of Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research at VU Amsterdam, we are happy to welcome Guus Smit to the team of directors. Smit has an extensive research portfolio in fundamental neuroscience and the ambition to understand how the brain functions. Smit: “Only collaborative research activities can bring insights into understanding the complex working mechanisms of the brain.”

Special thanks

We would like to thank Diederik van de Beek for his tremendous commitment as co-founder of Amsterdam Neuroscience. Arjen Brussaard, director of Amsterdam Neuroscience: “When we started the research institute together in 2015, we could not have foreseen that the collaboration would turn out so well. His inimitable contribution to the leadership of the institute is a textbook example of how one can be an inspiration to colleagues of all generations. Over the last years, he combined his role co-director of Amsterdam Neuroscience, with his clinical duties as a neurologist and being a high ambition research group leader. In doing so he has thus set a standard for how to act and advise in the complex playing field of Neuroscience in an involved, yet objective and convincing manner.” Diederik van de Beek will remain to share his experience and opinions as a senior advisor in our management team.

Picture of Diederik van de Beek Bas Uterwijk

Photography: Digidaan & Bas Uterwijk