Research focus

The primary goal of the lab is to understand how intracellular trafficking underlies neuronal development and synapse function. We particularly focus on the areas of microtubule cytoskeleton, synaptic cargo trafficking and synaptic plasticity. The research in the lab can roughly be divided in three themes:

• Cytoskeleton dynamics during neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity. 
• Motor proteins and adaptors as regulators of synaptic transport. 
• Neuropsychiatric disorders linked to intracellular transport.

Honours and Awards

• Dutch Talent Fellowship (2002)
• Human Frontiers Long-Term Fellowship (HFSP-LTF, 2003)            
• VIDI grant from ZonMW (2004)                
• European Young Investigators (EURYI) award (2005)
• Human Frontiers Career Development Award (HFSP-CD, 2005)    
• Elected member of the EMBO Young Investigator Program (YIP, 2009)
• VICI grant from NWO-ALW (2011)
• Elected Member of “The Young Academy" (DJA), which is part of the The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW, 2011-2015)             
• European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator grant (2013)
• Member of FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence (2014)
• Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) (2015)
• Member of Young Academy of Europe (YAE) (2015)
• 10th International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) / Kemali Prize (2016)

Key recent references

1) Kuijpers M, et al., (2016) Dynein Regulator NDEL1 Controls Polarized Cargo Transport at the Axon Initial Segment. Neuron 89(3):461-71

2) Kevenaar JT, et al., (2016). Kinesin-Binding Protein Controls Microtubule Dynamics and Cargo Trafficking by Regulating Kinesin Motor Activity. Current Biology 26(7):849-61.

3) Lipka J, et al., (2016). Microtubule-binding protein doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) guides kinesin-3-mediated cargo transport to dendrites. EMBO Journal 35(3):302-18. 

4) van Bergeijk P, et al., (2015) Optogenetic control of organelle transport and positioning. Nature 518(7537):111-4 

5) van Beuningen SFB, et al., (2015) TRIM46 controls neuronal polarity and axon specification by driving the formation of parallel microtubule arrays. Neuron, 88(6):1208-26

6) Yau KW et al., (2014) Microtubule minus-end binding protein CAMSAP2 controls axon specification and dendrite development Neuron 82(5):1058-73

7) Benoit RM et al., (2014) Structural basis for recognition of synaptic vesicleprotein 2C by botulinum neurotoxin A. Nature 505(7481):108-11

8) Geiger JC et al., (2014) The GRIP1/14-3-3 Pathway Coordinates Cargo Trafficking and Dendrite Development. Developmental Cell 28(4):381-93 

9) Jaarsma D, et al., (2014) A role for Bicaudal-D2 in radial cerebellar granule cell migration. Nature Communications 5:3411 

10) Jiang K, et al., (2014) Microtubule Minus-End Stabilization by Polymerization-Driven CAMSAP Deposition. Developmental Cell 28(3):295-309 

11) Schlager MA, et al., (2014) Bicaudal d family adaptor proteins control the velocity of Dynein-based movements. Cell Rep 8(5):1248-56.

12) van Spronsen M, et al., (2013) TRAK/Milton Motor-Adaptor Proteins Steer Mitochondrial Trafficking to Axons and Dendrites Neuron 77(3):485-502

13) van der Vaart B, et al., (2013) CFEOM1-Associated Kinesin KIF21A Is a Cortical Microtubule Growth Inhibitor. Developmental Cell 27(2):145-60

14) Kapitein LC, et al., (2013) Myosin-V opposes microtubule-based cargo transport and drives directional motility on cortical actin. Current Biology 23(9):828-34 

15) Hellal F, et al., (2011) Microtubule stabilization reduces scarring and causes axon regeneration after spinal cord injury. Science 331(6019):928-31 

16) Stiess M, et al., (2010) Axon extension occurs independently of centrosomal microtubule nucleation. Science 327(5966):704-7

17) Kapitein LC, et al., (2010). Mixed microtubules steer dynein-driven cargo transport into dendrites. Current Biology 20(4):290-299

18) Jaworski J, et al., (2009) Dynamic microtubules regulate dendritic spine morphology and synaptic plasticity. Neuron 61(1), 85-100