Her Majesty Queen Máxima will be present on Thursday morning, September 18, in Amsterdam at a meeting to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Dutch Brain Bank (NHB). The Brain Bank collects brain tissue from deceased individuals that is made available to scientists around the world. Scientific research on this tissue provides more insight into the functioning of the brain.
During the plenary program, patients will share their experiences with brain disorders. Founder Professor Dick Swaab and the current director of the Brain Bank, Professor Inge Huitinga, will explain the origin, current activities, and future plans of the organization. Two psychiatrists will then explain the importance of scientific research for the treatment of patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. The Dick Swaab Award 2025 will also be presented to a promising young researcher in the field of neuroscience. Afterward, Queen Máxima will visit two laboratories of the Dutch Brain Bank where brain tissue is processed and stored.
The Dutch Brain Bank collects brain tissue from both healthy donors and donors with physical or mental disorders. By comparing the control group with the other groups, insight is gained into how brain disorders can be slowed down or even stopped. The Brain Bank has more than five thousand brains from deceased donors available for scientific research worldwide. The NHB is a department of the Netherlands Brain Institute, one of the research institutes of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).
RVD, nr. 211