NL
DE
My name is Marloes Henckens, born on May 19th 1984 in a small town (<2000 inhabitants) in Limburg, Beegden. I work as an assistant professor at the department of Cognitive Neuroscience, within the Stress-related disorders research theme.
Where do you live?
I live in Arnhem with my husband and one-year old son.
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? Can you tell us something about your childhood years?
I wanted to be a hairdresser, mainly because I didn’t want to be like all the other girls in my class that wanted to be a teacher. I have occasionally cut my own hair or that of family members (particularly during the COVID lockdowns), but it’s probably a good thing I didn’t make my career of it. I grew up as second child in a family of six. I listened to my older sister, bossed around my 11-month younger brother, and mothered my youngest brother, but overall we got along well. I wanted to be the best at everything, and struggled when I couldn’t be. It was a warm and happy childhood, in a loud and lively family. I hated the chaos at home when I was a teenager, but loved to get back to it in the weekends during my studies.
What was your previous academic training, where did you study and why did you choose that study/those studies?
I was trained in Natural Sciences at the Radboud University, both for my bachelor's and master's degree. The study consisted of a combination of chemistry, physics, and math. I liked all of these subjects and didn't want to narrow down my choices too much. I liked it a lot, although calculus was not my favorite subject. I majored in Biochemistry, and did both of my internships in neuroscience, which sparked my interest to pursue a PhD in that field. My PhD comprised of a translational project within a lab at the UMC Utrecht (Prof. Marian Joëls) and the Radboudumc (Prof. Guillén Fernández), studying the effects of stress (hormones) on brain function in both rodents and men. For my postdoc I went to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel to further my knowledge into animal models for stress-related disorders.
Which of your research discoveries are you most proud of?
I am proud of the translational work I have conducted. My research focuses on understanding inter-individual differences in susceptibility to stress and stress-related disorders, which I study using animal models. Animal models allow for tight experimental control, and more invasive manipulations and measurements, but are only truly useful to understand human mental health issues, if they are valid models for the human situation. Over the years, I have collected data showing that brain function in susceptible mice and rats shows high similarities to that of patients. Using these models, we just found out that brain activity and connectivity prior to stress exposure and also during stress exposure itself predicts the later consequences of this stress. Exciting to explore if we can use these brain signatures for prevention of disease!
What is your most important scientific challenge in the coming 5 years?
I aim to prove that aberrant trauma memory quality is causal to the long-lasting psychological consequences of trauma exposure in susceptible individuals. For this, I will first study the differences in the distribution of the physical trauma memory trace in the brain of mice that are either susceptible or resilient for these consequences. Next, I aim to manipulate the memory trace in susceptible mice, to render them resilient.
If you could choose any mentor, who would it be?
Pooh, I think I’ve had excellent mentors over the years. Both of my promotors, Marian Joëls and Guillén Fernández, have always inspired me to be at my best and facilitated my scientific career in every way they could. Now, I learn a lot from many people around me; my collaborators, peers, students, but also my friends and family. If I struggle with something, it helps me to see and understand how other people deal with similar issues and explore their coping strategies.
What is your favorite topic: molecules - patients - population?
Molecules-patient. I love studying molecules, but only to understand how they contribute to the bigger picture of health and disease.
What should be changed / improved in the scientific community?
I think it is time to let go of the image of a scientist as ‘homo universalis’. Currently, as a scientist, we need to do it all. Not only should we perform excellent research at the forefront of our scientific field, we are also expected to be active in outreach, inspire and teach students, supervise and manage a team, pitch and sell our work, have clinical impact, network, and so on. In daily practice, it is not all that much about science anymore… Maybe we should stop molding everyone into all-rounders, and try to appreciate differences, allow scientists to pursue their true ambitions, and exploit their personal strengths to really excel. Hopefully team science can put us one step closer to this ideal.
Is there anything we can wake you up for in the middle of the night?
Hmm.. When traveling to foreign places I love the magical feel of an early sunrise in a specific place or environment. But when at home, please let me be.
What is the thing that irritates you most?
Pretentious or insincere people. And when I hear people breatheor eat, I hate that.
Who would you like to have dinner with, if you had the chance?
Tough one. For now, mostly just with my family, as I missed our get-togethers during COVID. In terms of a celebrity, maybe Jane Goodall? I admire her for her strength to pursue her dreams and fight for her beliefs, while remaining very approachable, warm and kind.
How do you relax from the demanding job being a scientist?
I lay on the couch and cuddle with my son and/or watch Netflix. I also love going out for dinner with my husband, family or friends.
Do you have a tip for our most junior scientists?
Don’t worry too much. I remember that when I was younger every decision I made felt like an all-decisive thing; which profile I picked in high school, which studies at University, which PhD, etc. But along the way I noticed that none of these things really matters; I’ll find my way regardless.
Please add a photo which represents a remarkable event or experience you were part of? Please explain.
On the picture I am participating in a public debate organized by the University of Utrecht on the necessity and usefulness of animal experiments. I was quite nervous, as defending animal experiments is not received well be everyone. Yet, I felt responsible to share my view that animal models are absolutely still required within neuroscience, as we simply know too little about the brain to replace them by any other model. Discouragement of their usage by legal or financial means will only slow down scientific progress, and ultimately delay the much needed improvement in the treatment of brain/mental disease.
