Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre

Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre
Geert Grooteplein Zuid 30
6525 GA Nijmegen
The Netherlands

www.umcn.nl

Project Leaders

Dr. Jack Wetzels, Dr. Joost Hoenderop, Dr. René Bindels
From left to right: Dr. Jack Wetzels, Dr. Joost Hoenderop, Dr. René Bindels

Prof. René Bindels
Chair department of Physiology
Scientific director
Phone: + 31 24 361 4211
Contact

Prof. Jack Wetzels
Professor of Nephrology
Phone: + 31 24 361 4761
Contact

Prof. Joost Hoenderop
Professor of Kidney Physiology
Phone: + 31 24 361 0580
Contact

Team Members

Dr. Ernie Bongers

Ernie M.H.F. Bongers, MD, PhD
Clinical Geneticist
Phone: + 31 24 361 3946
Contact

Institute Presentation

The Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre advances human knowledge by conducting biomedical, translational and clinical research in order to improve wellbeing. Our key strength is medical life-sciences and clinical practice, with an impressive infrastructure comprising state-of-the-art technology platforms and (translational) research facilities. The RUNMC is therefore uniquely positioned in the emerging Euregio and Dutch healthcare infrastructure to play a leading role in the new healthcare paradigm of prediction, prevention and personalised medicine. The Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre focuses on scientific health challenges of today, with an eye on emerging diseases of the future.

René Bindels is as physiologist interested in the regulation of ion transport processes in kidney and small intestine in health and disease. Current projects involve the molecular mechanisms controlling the calcium and magnesium balance in general and the regulation of the new family of epithelial calcium and magnesium channels (TRPV5, TRPV6, TRPM6 and TRPM7) in particular. In addition, the functional consequences of mutations in the human ROMK2, NKCC2, NCC and TRPM6 transporters identified in Bartter and Gitelman syndrome and inherited hypomagnesemia are investigated. The studies include use of established epithelial cell lines, tissue-specific knockout mice models, and electrophysiological and biochemical analysis of channel activity. He is responsible for several physiology courses for medical and health science students. He is an elected member of the Academia Europaea and recipient of the Robert Pitts Lectureship of the International Union of Physiological Sciences, Carl W. Gottschalk Lectureship of the American Physiological Society and Homer Smith award of the American Society of Nephrology. Since 2010 he is the scientific director of the Nijmegen Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (NCMLS).

See also the Homepage of the Bindels group.

Jack Wetzels is a nephrologist. He studied Medicine at the University Nijmegen Medical center. He received his Ph.D. in 1989.  From 1990 to 1992 he worked as postdoctoral fellow under supervision of Robert W Schrier at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, CO, USA. Since 1992 he is working as nephrologist, and in 2002 he was appointed Professor of Nephrology in the Department of Nephrology at Radboud University Nijmegen. His chair is committed to teaching and research with an emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with glomerular diseases. Since 1995 patients with glomerular diseases are enrolled in a biobank. Studies have revealed the role of urine low molecular weight proteins as markers of progression, thus allowing optimized and individualized treatment. New techniques are being implemented to improve diagnosis and risk prediction.

Joost Hoenderop's background is in molecular-biology and physiology and he obtained his Ph.D. degree in Medical Science at the University of Nijmegen in 2000. As Ph.D., he identified the epithelial calcium channel (TRPV5), which is the gatekeeper of active calcium transport in epithelia present in kidney and intestine. Subsequently, he generated TRPV5 knockout mice as EMBO-fellow at the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He is a member of the Young Nephrology Committee from the International Society of Nephrology. In 2010 he became a member of the The Young Academy of The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. His current work focuses on the regulation of the mineral balance by using several epithelial cell lines and animal models. Hoenderop is a recipient of the prestigious EURYI 2006 grant. In July 2010, he was promoted to full professor in Molecular Renal Physiology.

See also the Homepage of the Hoenderop's group.

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