Many people experience persistent somatic symptoms, which may lack a clear medical explanation. They may turn to alternative medicine, such as homeopathy or herbal medicine. This seems to be more common among women than men, but underlying reasons remain poorly understood. The researcher studies sex and gender differences in alternative medicine use and stopping evidence-based care. To this end, large Dutch datasets and patient interviews are analysed, to more precisely identify who uses alternative medicine, when, and why. This project aims to contribute to identifying how stopping with evidence-based care by people with persistent somatic symptoms can be prevented.
One in four people will have an episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) in their lifetime, and one in three of these will experience multiple episodes. MDD symptoms such as difficulty thinking and feeling like they do not care can prevent accomplishing goals. These symptoms can persist even when MDD is treated and in remission, thus contributing to relapse. Multiple processes cause these challenges, but each process requires a different treatment. This project will tease apart these processes using brain scans and cognitive tests to explain difficulties with everyday goal-directed behavior, paving the way to personalized treatments to prevent relapse.
Many cancers begin when DNA damage in healthy cells becomes a permanent genetic change. We still don’t fully understand why some damaged cells are repaired, eliminated, or permanently stopped, while others survive and can later form tumors. Caloric restriction (eating less) is one of the most consistent ways to reduce cancer formation in mice, but the underlying biology is unclear. In this project, scientists use caloric restriction as a research model in mice to uncover the body’s earliest anti-cancer defenses and identify pathways that could be targeted by future preventive drugs or other medical interventions.
NWO has awarded Veni funding of up to EUR 320,000 to 205 promising researchers from across the full breadth of science. This will allow the laureates to further develop their own research ideas over the next three years. Read more about the Veni-grants.
