Molecular Medicine and Innovative Treatment

Are you interested in finding new and innovative drugs and therapies and do you wish to improve the use of existing drugs?

The disciplines covered in this track circle around the theme: 'molecules for patients'. You are encouraged to bridge the gap between the fundamental natural sciences (such as chemistry and physics) and the medical/clinical sciences in the field of medicinal products and technologies.

This specialization contributes to the entire field of the pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences, from basic areas like drug discovery, chemical analysis and synthesis to (clinical) pharmaceutical practice and patient-oriented research. Knowledge from different research disciplines is combined in the design and evaluation of optimal drugs, products and therapies that are being made available to society.

Research in this specialization is of high societal impact with several drugs or related products developed in-house on the market or in clinical trials, several spin-offs and companies, a strong portfolio of patents and research that contributes directly to healthcare policymaking.

For information and guidance on Drug Innovation research, please contact the Drug Innovation specialization coordinator Prof. dr. Hélder Almeida Santos at h.a.santos@umcg.nl.

What are the detrimental and beneficial roles of microorganisms in human health and disease? How can we exploit this knowledge in the prevention and fight against infectious diseases?

What are the mechanisms that underlay or contribute to immune-mediated diseases? How can we exploit the immune system to treat (immune-mediated)diseases?

In this specialization, you can unravel the mechanisms underlying immune-mediated chronic diseases by translation of basic immunological concepts into clinical practice (and vice versa). You become involved in research contributing to personalized and precision medicine for infectious and immune-mediated diseases. You will be exposed to a wide variety of research topics ranging from the roles of microbes in the etiology of major autoimmune disorders, the genetics of celiac disease to targeting immune pathways for treatment .

For information and guidance on infection and immunity research, please contact the infection and immunity specialization coordinators prof. dr. Jan Maarten van Dijl at j.m.van.dijl01@umcg.nl or prof. dr. Peter Heeringa at p.heeringa@umcg.nl.

Is every calorie the same? Does healthy obesity exist? Via which pathways does an unbalanced diet lead to diseases? What is the best nutrition during health and illness?

The prevalence of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, increases with age and is often associated with a sedentary lifestyle and excessive calorie intake. These diseases contribute significantly to liver, digestive, cardiovascular, and certain types of cancer (gut and liver). Given the global obesity epidemic, these diseases are responsible for most of the morbidity and mortality worldwide. In contrast, rare genetic metabolic disorders - of course! - do not have such a huge health impact, but they provide crucial insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic processes and aid in the development of new treatment strategies.

In this specialization you will focus on both basic and (pre)clinical translational research related to metabolic diseases. You will develop a strong understanding of the molecular basis of these diseases and receive training on how research, particularly in the basic sciences, can contribute to the development of evidence-based strategies for prevention, treatment, and management of metabolic diseases.

To learn more about the Metabolic Disease specialization within the UMCG and the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP) a