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Suzanne van der Veldt, PhD
Suzanne van der Veldt, PhD
I am an Assistant Professor at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, where I investigate the neural circuits that underlie innate behaviors, spatial navigation and emotional states. My research centers on the septohippocampal system, using in-vivo calcium imaging, optogenetics, and electrophysiology to uncover how specific brain circuits give rise to cognition and emotion.
I completed my postdoctoral training at the Université de Montréal, supported by CIHR and FRQS fellowships, where I studied serotonergic modulation of hippocampal circuits. I hold a PhD in Neuroscience at McGill University as a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar, where I explored spatial coding in the lateral septum. My work has been published in leading journals including Nature, Nature Communications and PLOS Biology.
A central goal of my research is to develop our understanding of brain function through models that capture ecological validity. I focus on spontaneous behaviors that reliably engage evolutionarily conserved circuits - patterns of behaviors essential for survival and adaptation - allowing us to probe neural mechanisms with both translational relevance and reproducibility across contexts.
Beyond the lab, I am passionate about mentoring the next generation of researchers, outreach, and promoting equity in science.
Postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Bénédicte Amilhon, Université de Montréal (2021-2025)
The Amilhon lab aims to dissect the neuronal networks underlying this modulation of memory formation by emotional state, using a combination of fiber photometry, electrophysiology and optotagging. I am excited to dig deeper into the functional role of raphe inputs to lateral septum, using the suite of techniques available at the Amilhon lab.
Check out some of the other work of the Amilhon Lab here!
My work is funded by a CIHR Postdoctoral fellowship (2022-2025) and the FRQS Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022-2024)
PhD Candidate in the laboratory of Dr. Sylvain Williams, McGill University (2017-2021)
The Williams laboratory studies the how large population of neurons underlie memory function. As a PhD student, I dissected the role of lateral septum in spatial navigation using in-vivo calcium microscopy and opto- and chemogenetics, as well as AAV and rabies tracing approaches. For a more extensive overview of all the work done in the Williams lab have a look on their website!
My work was funded by a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CIHR, 2018-2020), a Tomlinson Fellowship (McGill University, 2016-2017) and a GREAT travel award (McGill University, 2018)
PhD Student in the laboratory of Dr. Pierre Trifilieff, Bordeaux University (2016)
During the first year of my PhD studies, I used a combination of electrophysiological recording techniques, operant conditioning and optogenetics to study the effects of maternal immune activation on mesolimbic dopamine signalling in the lab of Dr. Pierre Trifilieff (Bordeaux University), in collaboration with Dr. Giamal Luheshi (McGill University).
My work was funded by the Initiative d'Excellence (IDEX) Bordeaux (2016) and a Tomlinson Fellowship (2016-2017). If you want to learn more about dopamine and maternal immune inflammation, check out one of my talks here!
MSc Student in the laboratory of Dr. Tatiana Korotkova and Alexey Ponomarenko, Medical University Charité Berlin (2014-2015)
My first steps into the world of in-vivo neuronal recordings! I conducted my MSc thesis project using optogenetics and silicon probes with microdrives to investigate how top-down inputs onto the lateral hypothalamus determine the signalling of feeding related cells. This rotation was part of the Neurasmus European Master in Neuroscience (a huge recommendation), which also allowed me to complete a semester of Neuroscience studies at the VU University of Amsterdam, and an additional lab rotation in the NutriNeuro (Nutrition and Integrated Neurobiology) Laboratory at the University of Bordeaux.
My work was funded by a NeuroCure MSc Stipend (NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, 2015) and the Neurasmus Travel Grant (European Commission, 2014-2016).
BSc in Cognitive Science, Utrecht University, Netherlands (2010-2013)
I graduated with the distinction Summa Cum Laude from the honours program of Utrecht University, Roosevelt University College. And I even got to spend a semester abroad to study neuroscience at Vanderbilt University! Good times all around.
During this time I was an undergraduate research assistant at ZorgSaam Hospital Terneuzen, where I conducted an honours thesis clinical research project on using EEG as a diagnostic tool for the early detection of Alzheimers Disease under supervision of Dr. Gerda Andringa, funded by the Sirius Program of Excellence.
Are you looking lab rotation or undergraduate research project? Send your CV and short motivation to suzannevdveldt@gmail.com
Applications from all gender identities, members of the LGBT+ community as well as visible and invisible minorities are encouraged
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