lab

Human stem cell modeling of neuropsychiatric disorders

Lab Head: Femke-de Vrij

Lab Description

Our group works closely together with the Kushner lab to study the underlying mechanisms of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. We have established a variety of human induced pluripotent stem cell models for obtaining defined brain cell types and neural networks. Comparison of control and diseased human brain cells and 3D organoids allows us to study and manipulate human neurobiological mechanisms, focusing on genetic candidate variants for psychiatric disorders.

Lab Members

Femke de Vrij
Dr. Femke de Vrij (F.M.S.)
Associate Professor
Lab Head
Maurits Unkel
Maurits Unkel
Phd Student
Bas Lendemeijer
Bas Lendemeijer
Phd Student
Hilde Smeenk
Hilde Smeenk
Phd Student
Mirle Buurma
Mirle Buurma
Master Student
Zoe Bartalits
Zoe Bartalits
Master Student
Maria Madejon Sanchez
Maria Madejon Sanchez
Master Student
Sakshi Bansal
Sakshi Bansal
Scientific Researcher
Juliette Kamp
Juliette Kamp
Scientific Researcher
Mark van der Kroeg
Mark van der Kroeg
Research Technician
Anniek Meesters
Anniek Meesters
Research Technician

Recent Publications

Nervous System-on-Chip: Innovative Microfluidic Platform to Compartmentalize hiPSC-Derived Neural Networks.

Sabahi-Kaviani R, Gogolou A, Souilhol C, van der Kroeg M, Kushner SA, de Vrij FMS, Tsakiridis A, Luttge R
in Micromachines 2026
DOI: 10.3390/mi17020199

A xenotransplantation model for reactivation of paternal UBE3A using human-specific antisense oligonucleotides.

Smeenk H, Lendemeijer B, Buurma MG, Forgione MA, Slump DE, Monshouwer RA, Wallaard I, Mientjes EJ, Hoogendijk WJG, Elgersma Y, de Vrij FMS, Kushner SA
in Scientific reports 2026
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-41197-9

Influenza A virus infection impairs neuronal activity in human iPSC-derived NGN2 neural co-cultures.

Benavides FFW, Kempff ALV, Smeenk H, Lendemeijer B, Lavrijsen M, Slotman JA, Kushner SA, de Vrij FMS, Bauer L, van Riel D
in Acta neuropathologica communications 2026
DOI: 10.1186/s40478-026-02292-0

GOATEA: gene set enrichment analysis in R with shiny interactive visualizations.

Unkel MAW, Beeler JA, Kushner SA, de Vrij FMS
in BMC bioinformatics 2026
DOI: 10.1186/s12859-026-06541-w

Human adherent cortical organoids in a multi-well format.

van der Kroeg M, Bansal S, Unkel MA, Smeenk H, Kushner SA, de Vrij FMS
in eLife 2026
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.98340

Microelectrode array technology for organoids and microphysiological systems.

Toymus AT, Karim T, Frimat JP, de Vrij FMS, Mastrangeli M
in Trends in biotechnology 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2026.05.027

Astrocytes contribute to olanzapine-mediated reversal of Kleefstra Syndrome-associated neurodevelopmental regression.

Vermeulen-Kalk K, Wang S, Kummeling J, Mossink B, Wijnant KN, González Jiménez CO, Frazier ZJ, Rozumny BJ, O'Donnell-Luria A, Hanson E, Frega M, Linda K, Negwer M, Lendemeijer B, Oudakker A, Pop-Purceleanu M, Janzing JG, van Dongen L, de Vrij FM, Kushner SA, van der Werf I, Schoenmaker C, Oomens W, Srivastava S, Egger JI, van Bokhoven H, Schubert D, Nadif Kasri N, Kleefstra T
in The Journal of clinical investigation 2026
DOI: 10.1172/JCI195803

Neuronal hyperactivity in neurons derived from individuals with gray matter heterotopia.

Di Matteo F, Bonrath R, Pravata V, Schmidt H, Ayo Martin AC, Di Giaimo R, Menegaz D, Riesenberg S, de Vrij FMS, Maccarrone G, Holzapfel M, Straub T, Kushner SA, Robertson SP, Eder M, Cappello S
in Nature communications 2025
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56998-1

In vitro models for human neuroglia.

Lendemeijer B, de Vrij FMS
in Handbook of clinical neurology 2025
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-443-19104-6.00015-2

Non-polio enteroviruses compromise the electrophysiology of a human iPSC-derived neural network.

Benavides FFW, Ayudhya SSN, Power MA, Rijnink WF, Deguergue A, Meyer B, de Vrij FMS, van Riel D, Lanko K, Bauer L
in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2025
DOI: 10.1101/2025.08.27.672623

Differential susceptibility of human motor neurons to infection with Usutu and West Nile virus.

Marshall EM, Bauer L, Nelemans T, Sooksawasdi Na Ayudhya S, Benavides F, Lanko K, de Vrij FMS, Kushner SA, Koopmans M, van Riel D, Rockx B
in Journal of neuroinflammation 2024
DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03228-y

Morphological correlates of pyramidal cell axonal myelination in mouse and human neocortex.

Pascual-García M, Unkel M, Slotman JA, Bolleboom A, Bouwen B, Houtsmuller AB, Dirven C, Gao Z, Hijazi S, Kushner SA
in Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) 2024
DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae147

A simplified protocol for the generation of cortical brain organoids.

Eigenhuis KN, Somsen HB, van der Kroeg M, Smeenk H, Korporaal AL, Kushner SA, de Vrij FMS, van den Berg DLC
in Frontiers in cellular neuroscience 2023
DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1114420

The neuroinvasiveness, neurotropism, and neurovirulence of SARS-CoV-2.

Bauer L, Laksono BM, de Vrij FMS, Kushner SA, Harschnitz O, van Riel D
in Trends in neurosciences 2022
DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.02.006

Second-tier trio exome sequencing after negative solo clinical exome sequencing: an efficient strategy to increase diagnostic yield and decipher molecular bases in undiagnosed developmental disorders.

Tran Mau-Them F, Moutton S, Racine C, Vitobello A, Bruel AL, Nambot S, Kushner SA, de Vrij FMS, Lehalle D, Jean-Marçais N, Lecoquierre F, Delanne J, Thevenon J, Poe C, Jouan T, Chevarin M, Geneviève D, Willems M, Coubes C, Houcinat N, Masurel-Paulet A, Mosca-Boidron AL, Tisserant E, Callier P, Sorlin A, Duffourd Y, Faivre L, Philippe C, Thauvin-Robinet C
in Human genetics 2020
DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02178-8
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Vacancies

There are currently no vacancies on our lab.

Human iPSC-derived neurons expressing FOXP2 (red) and MAP2 (green). Header: iPSC-derived cortical organoid

Human iPSC-derived neurons expressing FOXP2 (red) and MAP2 (green). Header: iPSC-derived cortical organoid