Metabolism & Reproduction Group

The Metabolism research group focuses on identifying the underlying causes of disorders in metabolism, with the overarching aim of developing patient-tailored treatment methods.

The Metabolism research group has the following main aims:

• Analysis and individualised treatment of obesity, with a special focus on monogenic and syndromal obesity.

• Unravelling the interplay between glucocorticoid regulation (i.e. long-term glucocorticoid exposure, glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity) and the development of cardiometabolic diseases.

• Unravelling the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the sex-specific interaction between cardiometabolic and gonadal function and dysfunction.

• Understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie premature ageing in patients with genetic disorders in metabolism.

By bridging fundamental, translational and clinical research, this research group aims to gain insights into the causes of obesity and possible sex and ethnic differences therein, and they aim to develop individualised diagnostic and treatment monitoring tools based on patient characteristics. Their research takes place at the physiological, genetic, molecular and cellular level, using mouse and cell model systems (including induced pluripotent stem cells) and population cohorts. In addition, they use clinical data and material from patients with (genetic) disorders in metabolism and/or gonadal function, such as monogenetic obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome and Disorders of Sex Development.

Head of laboratory: Jenny Visser

Principal investigators

* Jenny A Visser
* Elisabeth FC van Rossum
* Laura De Graaff
* Mariëtte Boon
* Mesut Savas
* Medina Gomez

Postdocs

PhD students

Technicians

Master students

Bachelor students