First iCNS PhD students at LU

We are excited to announce the addition of two new PhD students to the iCNS team at Leiden University (LU). Joining Work Package 4, which focuses on the development of chemical probes and methods for the molecular human brain atlas and target validation, are Lars van Abswoude and Nick Puijmbroeck. 

Lars van Abswoude started on September 1, 2024. During his master's degree in Chemistry at LU, Lars already conducted his internship in the Molecular Physiology group under supervision of Mario van der Stelt. Then, he developed new kinase inhibitors as potential drugs against cancer. Now, Lars will be working on the development of cell type specific PROTACs targeting the central nervous system, to unravel the cell type specific role of neuropsychiatric disease-associated molecular mechanisms. This project is at the forefront of PROTAC development and combines the fields of organic chemistry and biochemistry. 

Nick Puijmbroeck joined us on April 1, 2025. He has also studied Chemistry at LU, where he recently completed a research internship in the Molecular Physiology group under the supervision of Mario van der Stelt. During this project, he developed bio-orthogonal lipids to study endocannabinoid synaptic transmission. Now, he will further explore the endocannabinoid system by developing activity-based probes to visualize biosynthetic endocannabinoid proteins in neurobiological models of psychiatric disorders. By mapping protein activity across different brain regions, this research aims to provide new insights into the role of the endocannabinoid system in neuropsychiatric disorders. 

ICNS is thrilled to have these talented researchers on board, we look forward to their contributions and wish them success!  

Are you interested in joining the iCNS team? Check out our Vacancies page for current openings and stay connected through our LinkedIn for updates.