From 1 September 2026, Prof. Dr Ruud Toonen will be appointed Director of Impact at the Faculty of Science at VU University Amsterdam. In this role, he will continue to build on the faculty’s valorisation ambitions and contribute to strengthening societal impact, external collaboration and innovation.
“The Faculty of Science possesses a tremendous wealth of knowledge and talent. My ambition is to connect researchers, students, societal partners and businesses even more effectively, so that our scientific discoveries can more quickly find their way into applications that make a real difference to society” – Ruud Toonen.
Ruud has been working in the department of Neuroscience since 2002. His research group studies how nerve cells communicate with one another and how disruptions in that communication contribute to brain diseases. His team has developed new research methods using human brain cells grown in the laboratory from stem cells (so-called iPSC models). These models make it possible to better understand brain disorders and to develop and test new medicines in systems that are closer to the patient.
In addition, Ruud is a co-founder of Neurospector, an initiative within the department of Neuroscience that focuses on translating fundamental knowledge into societal and economic applications. By bringing together researchers, clinicians and industrial partners, Neurospector has contributed to new public-private partnerships, the development and exploitation of intellectual property, and new opportunities for young researchers to gain experience in innovation and knowledge transfer.
“Ruud brings a unique combination of scientific excellence, entrepreneurship and collaborative leadership. With his experience in public-private partnerships and his vision of utilising knowledge for the benefit of people and the planet, he is ideally placed to shape the next phase of valorisation within our faculty’ – Aletta Kraneveld, Dean of the Faculty of Science.
In his new role, Ruud aims to contribute to a coherent and recognisable valorisation strategy for the faculty. The focus will be on supporting researchers in achieving societal impact, strengthening collaboration with external partners and further developing a culture in which the application of knowledge is a natural part of academic research and education.