Laura Han, Vincent van Vugt and Emma Birnie
Understanding biological aging: the key to a healthier and happier life
Laura Han (postdoc researcher at Amsterdam UMC)
It is well known that depression and anxiety can shorten people's lifespan by up to 20 years. However, scientists do not fully understand how stress-related disorders accelerate aging processes. This project uses innovative predictors of "biological age" to identify the underlying mechanisms, their predictive value and potential reversibility after treatment.
Future-proof GP care with 'blended care': customized eHealth for the chronically ill
Vincent van Vugt (Postdoc researcher at Amsterdam UMC)
More and more people are living with chronic diseases such as diabetes. There are not enough people working in healthcare to give all these patients sufficient attention. Combining personalized care with eHealth is a possible solution to this problem. This is what researchers call ‘blended care'. Currently, no one knows what the best 'blended care' treatment looks like. This study seeks to find out which components of blended care for chronic illnesses are effective and feasible in family medicine. In doing so, the researchers are creating a scientific guideline as an aid in general practitioner care.
Antibodies for the prevention and treatment of melioidosis
Emma Birnie (Postdoc researcher at Amsterdam UMC)
The tropical infectious disease melioidosis is caused by the soil bacterium burkholderia pseudomallei. This bacterium is on the list of possible weapons of bio-terrorism. Worldwide, there are 165,000 estimated melioidosis patients annually, of which 89,000 die. No vaccine or specific treatment for melioidosis is available. The researcher will develop neutralizing monoclonal antibodies for prevention and treatment of melioidosis.
Read the full release on the NWO website.