Junior J.J. Groen Award for 'Medical Delta Talent'

Dr. Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam (Leiden University) has received the J.J. Groen Junior Award 2024. Bas-Hoogendam conducts multi- and interdisciplinary research on the neurobiology of anxiety disorders. Her research has been funded in part by the Medical Delta Talent Acceleration Call of 2021. Prof. Dr. Bas Bloem (Radboud University Nijmegen) has received the J.J. Groen Senior Award 2024.

Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam is an assistant professor at the Institute of Psychology at Leiden University and is also affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at LUMC and the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition. During her PhD research, she studied the innate vulnerability to developing social anxiety disorder (SAD), a common, chronic, and disabling condition with inadequate treatment options. As part of the unique Leiden Family Study, she used MRI scans to investigate which brain characteristics are related to social anxiety and are hereditary.

Neurofeedback on Social Anxiety Symptoms

This interdisciplinary research involved experts from Psychology, Psychiatry, Child Psychiatry, and Medical Statistics. Her work resulted in fundamental knowledge about the neurobiological vulnerability to developing SAD. She received a grant that enabled her to establish an intensive collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health (USA). She continues to investigate the effect of neurofeedback on social anxiety symptoms and is co-chair of the international ENIGMA-Anxiety consortium.

In addition to her Medical Delta grant, she is supported by a grant from the Dutch National Research Agenda (NWA). She is also active as a science ambassador.

Parkinson Expert Bas Bloem Wins Senior Award

Prof. Dr. Bas Bloem is a professor of neurological movement disorders at Radboud UMC and head of the Expertise Center for Parkinson & Movement Disorders. Bloem is a world-renowned expert in Parkinson's disease. His mission is to improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease through better patient care. To this end, he developed ParkinsonNet, an innovative model of multidisciplinary and patient-centered network care.

Both winners will receive their awards during a festive symposium on October 16 at the Uilenburgersjoel in Amsterdam.

J.J. Groen Award

The Foundation for Interdisciplinary Behavioral Science Research (SIGO) was established on December 7, 1973, on the initiative of Prof. Dr. Joannes Juda Groen. The foundation aims to promote human well-being by stimulating interdisciplinary behavioral science research, particularly in the fields of biology, medicine, psychology, and sociology.

In 2014, it was decided to achieve the foundation's goal by establishing and awarding the Joannes Juda Groen Prize for interdisciplinary behavioral science research. Currently, the prize consists of a junior and a senior award, each of €30,000, awarded biennially.

The awards are granted by the board based on the advice of an independent multidisciplinary jury. The prizes are presented during a symposium on important aspects of current interdisciplinary research.

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(Photo: Suédy Mauricio)