PhD committee

My name is Charles David, and I am a first-year Ph.D. student at School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University. My research is part of the YOD-INCLUDED study and involves early recognition of Young Onset Dementia (YOD) within the general practice. The aim is to shorten the diagnosis time and identify red flags that can aid in early identification within primary care leading to timely referrals to memory clinics. Furthermore, within YOD-INCLUDED we aim to set up a national YOD cohort where we will include everyone who had/has/may have a YOD diagnosis.
I am fortunate to be a part of the EURON network and a member of the Ph.D. committee. I look forward to promoting scientific collaboration among EURON partners, share insights, and gain relevant skills.

My name is Anja Schöttler, and since the end of 2019 I’m a PhD-student at the School for Mental Health and Neuroscience at Maastricht University. During my research I’m investigating the mechanisms of autoantibody-related neuromuscular disorders such as Myasthenia Gravis. My particular interest focuses on the involvement of the complement system during the development of MG, in vitro and in vivo.
Already during my bachelor and master studies I seized several opportunities to work in collaborating labs, regional but also abroad. The experiences and impressions I gained during these periods are priceless and will last forever. Therefore, I was immediately delighted when it came to the question if I would like to participate at EURON as a representative for UM. It is a great concept and easily allows PhD students to network, exchange “on the same level” and expand their horizons.

My name is Julia Koch, and I am a PhD student at the RWTH University hospital Aachen. I graduated from the Radboud University in Nijmegen, obtaining a bachelor’s in Psychology and master’s in Cognitive Neuroscience. In Aachen, I joint the Hyperscanning project led by Jun.-Prof. Dr. Lisa Wagels which follows a two-person neuroscience approach to study neural dynamics during social interactions. This project investigates the intra- and inter-brain mechanisms, as well as inter-brain synchronicity, during sibling interaction in terms of cooperative, competitive, dominant, and aggressive behaviors. I am grateful to be part of the EURON network, as it provides an excellent platform for PhD students to connect, collaborate, and broaden their research horizons. As a PhD representative for RWTH Aachen University, I am excited to actively engage with fellow PhD students and help them fully benefit from the opportunities and advantages that EURON offers.

My name is Sarra Zaghbouni, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences at the Brône/Rigo team at Hasselt University. Here, I study the effects of temperature on neuronal developmental and trauma-induced axon plasticity. In addition to being passionate about my research, I actively act as a science communicator and a content creator. You can easily reach out to me via any social platform (@Not your typical scientist). During my career, I worked with a wide range of people from different ages, nationalities, and backgrounds, and I have always been supportive of diversity and inclusion. Which is why I am happy to be part of EURON network as it focuses on empowering young scientists and encouraging international collaboration. Thus, I am excited to be part of the Ph.D. committee so that I can actively inspire other young scientists to take advantage of the opportunities and benefits of the EURON network.

My name is Sarah Chenine and I am a joint PhD student between Hasselt University and Maastricht University. My research focuses on regulatory T cells (Tregs) in multiple sclerosis (MS). Specifically, we want to investigate the epigenetic signature of Tregs across the different MS disease stages and how this signature may affect remyelination. EURON gives young researchers the opportunity to expand their scientific network and skills. As a EURON PhD representative, I would like to promote EURON and encourage PhD students to benefit from the EURON network, training programs and events.

Air pollution knows no boundaries, and neither do I. Originally from Belgium, I moved to Lille to pursue a PhD in neurotoxicology. My research is conducted at ‘IMPact de l’Environnement Chimique sur la Santé’ (IMPECS) and ‘Lille Neuroscience et Cognition – équipe Troubles cognitifs dégénératifs et vasculaires’ (LilNCog-DVCD), where I am investigating the harmful effects of car-related airborne ultrafine particles, specifically their contribution as a possible risk factor for Parkinson’s disease. 
In addition to my dedication to this project, I highly value international connections. From my first year as PhD student, I have been actively involved with EURON. I have participated in the EURON PhD Days each year, presenting my research through both oral and poster presentations. I also served on the organizing committee for the 2024 PhD Days and completed the ‘Human Neuroanatomy and it’s Clinical Application’ course in Maastricht. Hope to meet you on one of the next events !
Thanks to the networking opportunities provided by EURON, I have been able to establish a new collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Sciences at UHasselt in Belgium. EURON has significantly contributed to European projects and has been pivotal in advancing my career.

A fun fact about me: I have a dog named Watson, after James Watson, one of the discoverers of the molecular helix structure of DNA.

I am Melina (28) and cellular processes that are required to maintain neuronal functionality fascinate me. These passion I am following in the group of Dr. Natalia Kononenko in Cologne. In my PhD project, I focus on autophagy in different neuronal subtypes. I found that cAMP-dependent protein kinase signaling is controlled by autophagy via selective degradation of PKA regulatory subunit 1 (RI). Accumulation of PKA RI leads to defective PKA signaling and impairs the PKA-dependent phosphorylation of Ankyrin2, a known regulator of membrane localization of neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels in cells. My recent data indicate that the localization of voltage-gated calcium channel Cav2.1 is defective in autophagy-deficient neurons, which can be linked nicely to the mice phenotype of startle-induced seizures and impairment in memory formation. In EURON I see the big chance for young scientist to broaden their research competencies by the offered training programs and get part of a big international network with high expertise in the fascinating field of neuroscience!

My name is Yasmine Salman, and since October 2022 I am pursuing a PhD at the Louvain Aging Brain LAB at the University of Louvain. There, I work both with patients at clinical MRI and with post-mortem tissue at ultra-high field MRI to define an MRI signature of tau pathology, especially in Alzheimer's disease. Joining the PhD committee is an exciting opportunity to meet people from different horizons. I would like to encourage people to network and connect with other research groups through the EURON training programs and events.

My name is Marion Dourte and I started my thesis in October 2021 at the University of Louvain (Brussels), in the Aging and Dementia Laboratory. My project, which is also in collaboration with the University of Namur, focuses on brain cellular senescence and its possible role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. I am mainly working with a tauopathy mouse model, which is intended to be used for RNA sequencing and proteomic analyses at first. Joining the PhD committee represents a great opportunity for me to meet new people from different universities, to be able to represent my university and finally to promote the Euron workshops."

My name is Elisa Zuccoli and I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Developmental and Cellular Biology research group in the LCSB. I studied at the Ludwigs-Maximilians-University in Munich, where I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Master's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology. My PhD project is  focusing on fundamental research on neurodegeneration. My research involves phenotyping of the α-synuclein microglia integrated in healthy and mutant midbrain organoids in Parkinson’s disease, investigating dysfunctional pathways involved in the pathology, and the development of small molecule compounds targeting altered autophagy in PD-specific microglia. Joining the EURON PhD committee allows me to connect with people from different universities who share similar interests. It also provides me with the opportunity to promote the numerous scientific and international benefits of EURON within the University of Luxembourg.

My name is Marijus Giraitis, pursuing my PhD since February 2023 at the University of Luxembourg. Additionally, I work as a clinician-scientist in the Digital Medicine team led by Prof. Dr. med Jochen Klucken at the University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Institute of Health, and Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg. In this role, I conduct clinical studies involving Parkinson's patients. My PhD project focuses on designing and developing an electronic diary application tailored to support individuals with Parkinson's in their self-management and assist healthcare professionals in clinical decision-making. I emphasize the implementation of diverse co-creation methods to advance user research and contribute valuable insights to the realm of digital technology in Parkinson's care and research. I am delighted to be a part of EURON and am eager to share information about it with fellow doctoral researchers in Luxembourg.