At the Faculty of Science, research and valorisation are always in full swing. In VU Valorisation, we delve into how that 's done. Guus Smit, neurobiologist and director of the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, talks about what valorisation means to his work.
How do you bring knowledge from the lab into practice, where it actually means something to people? For Guus Smit, neurobiologist and director of the Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), that question is central to his daily work. Also as the driving force behind Amsterdam Neuroscience, where VU, UvA and Amsterdam UMC researchers meet, he is constantly looking for ways to turn scientific knowledge into tangible applications for patients.
''At CNCR, we do fundamental research on the brain, from molecular processes to behaviour," Smit explains. ‘But many of our researchers also focus explicitly on brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's, for example.’ This dual focus on basic knowledge and application is reinforced by the close collaboration with the Amsterdam UMC. "Colleagues often work in teams in the lab and in the clinic. That accelerates the translation from basic insight to intervention."
A striking example is the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This allows researchers to grow nerve cells from a patient's skin cells, studying a brain disease in the petri dish. "This makes it possible to see at the cellular level what is going wrong in a specific patient. It's a huge step forward for both research and the development of personalised medicine."
This translation of knowledge into impact, valorisation, is a core theme within Amsterdam Neuroscience. ‘Valorisation means using scientific insights to create social or economic added value,’ Smit explains. ‘This can be done, for example, through collaboration with companies, setting up clinical studies or developing new treatments.’
To structurally support this bridging function, a team of so-called neuro-business developers was set up from 2010. Five developers are now working full-time to establish connections between science and society. ‘They actively seek contact with parties outside the academy, from pharmacists to start-ups,’ Smit says. ‘They also bring questions from practice back into the lab.’
The fact that this approach pays off is evident when you look at the figures: some €13 million in annual research turnover comes from these collaborations: ‘This makes business development pay for itself, as well as creating space for new research.’ But even more important is the impact on the field. ‘We can move faster, do more targeted research for and together with companies, and better respond to the needs of patients and practitioners.’
According to Smit, Amsterdam Neuroscience is uniquely positioned to lead the way in this. "In Amsterdam, we have a wide range of expertise, from cell biology to neurology and psychiatry, as well as access to a diverse patient population. That makes customisation possible, which is exactly what valorisation is all about: science that helps companies and people get ahead."
Nevertheless, Smit says there is still work to be done. "Valorisation is sometimes still viewed with suspicion, as if a partnership with a company is something improper. But I see it precisely as our responsibility: knowledge that stays on the shelf is of no use to anyone. Only when knowledge flows back to society does it gain real value."