Benno Roozendaal
Personal details
Surname, first name, title(s): Roozendaal, Benno, Prof. dr.
Gender: Male
Date and place of Birth: October 10, 1963, Beverwijk, The Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
Work Address: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Group Behavioural
Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and
Behaviour, Radboudumc, Kapittelweg 29, 6500 HB
Nijmegen, the Netherlands
E-mail: Benno.Roozendaal@radboudumc.nl
Phone: +31 24 36 10906
Education
1982-1987 Medical Biology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
August 31, 1983 Propaedeuse exam in Biology (cum laude)
March 25, 1987 Master Degree in Medical Biology (cum laude)
1987-1992 Graduate school (Assistent in Opleiding), Department of
Animal Physiology, University of Groningen, The
Netherlands
October 2, 1992 Ph.D. degree. Title of thesis: The amygdala, stress and
adaptation. Supervisors: Prof. dr. J.M. Koolhaas, Prof. dr.
B. Bohus
1993-1999 post-doctoral fellow, Center for the Neurobiology of
Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine (USA)
Positions
1999-2007 Assistant Research Neurobiologist, Center for the
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of
California, Irvine (USA)
2007-2008 Associate Research Neurobiologist, Center for the
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of
California, Irvine (USA)
2008-2012 Professor and Section leader, Department of Neuroscience,
Section Anatomy, University Medical Center Groningen,
University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
2012-present Professor, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience,
Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen (The
Netherlands)
Honors, Prizes and Professional Memberships
1994-present Member, Society for Neuroscience
1995-1996 Ralph W. and Leona Gerard Family Trust Fellowship
1997-present Member, New York Academy of Sciences
1998-present Member, International Society for
Psychoneuroendocrinology
2
1998 Young Investigator Award, International Society for
Psychoneuroendocrinology
1999 Curt P. Richter Award, International Society for
Psychoneuroendocrinology
2005-2008 Associate Fellow CNLM
2006-2007 Guest Full Professorship (Gasthoogleraar), University of
Amsterdam
2006 Participant, 18th Annual Kavli Frontiers of Science
Symposium, National Academy of Sciences
2006 Speaker, SILS-CNS Lecture-of-the-Year, University of
Amsterdam
2006-2008 Member of Editorial Board, Neural Plasticity
2006-2008 Member, CNLM Vivarium Committee
2007-present Associate Editor, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
2007-present Member of Editorial Board, Stress
2007-present Member, Topical Team, European Space Agency
2009 Fellow: Association for Psychological Science
2012-2016 Associate Editor Psychiatry Journal
2014 Organizer, Donders Summer School: Stress &
Cognition: from basic mechanisms to psychopathology
2014-present Member, daily board Radboudumc theme Stress-related
disorders
2014-2017 Chair, Non-human research team, Dept. Cognitive
Neuroscience, Radboudumc
2014-2017 Member Management team, Dept. Cognitive
Neuroscience, Radboudumc;
2014-present Member, daily board Translational Neuroscience unit
2015-present Member of Editorial Board, Psychoneuroendocrinology
2017-present Vice-Chair, Non-human research team, Dept. Cognitive
Neuroscience, Radboudumc
2017-present Member advisory board, STRESS.NL
2017 Organizer, Second Summer School: Stress & Cognition:
from basic mechanisms to psychopathology
Supervisor of the following PhD students
Areg Barsegyan, Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc (2009-2013) (finishing)
Chunan Guo, Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc (2016-present) (finishing)
Huan Wang, Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc (2016-present) (finishing)
Sevgi Bahtiyar, Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc (2017-present)
Valentina Krenz, Dept. Psychology, University of Hamburg (2018-present)
Mariana Pais, Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc (2019-present)
Laura de Nooij, Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc (2019-present)
Emma Clephas, Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc and Dept. Psychology, University of Hamburg (2022-present).
Supervisor of external PhD students
Clarisse Musanabaganwa, University of Rwanda (2018-present)
Finished PhD projects
Piray Atsak (2012). Dept. Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, Stress and cognition: mechanisms regulating memory and empathy.
Romy Wichmann (2012) Dept. Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, The good and bad of stress: implications for memory and adaptive responses.
Erika Atucha (2015) Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Emotional modulation of memory: mechanisms underlying strength and accuracy of memory.
Hassiba Beldjoud (2016) Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Role of amygdala in chromatin remodeling effects underlying long term memory.
Giuseppe Manfré (2018) Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Pheno-ratting: towards the characterization of motor and psychiatric phenotypes in the BACHD rat model of Huntington Disease.
Evelien Schut (2019) Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Constructing knowledge: semantic memories in mice.
Yanfen Chen (2019) Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Emotional arousal effects on object recognition memory: role of amygdala-insular cortex interactions.
Elisavet Kyriakou (2020) Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Unravelling the behavioural and molecular hallmarks of spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (SCA17).
Chao Guo (2021) Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Information categorization and generalization: a study on the role of serotonin transporter knockout in rats.
Qi Song (2021) Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Noradrenergic effects on the neural mechanisms underlying memory detailedness.
Lisa van Weert (2021) Dept. Medicine, LUMC/Dept. Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Genomic glucocorticoid signaling in the hippocampus: understanding receptor specificity and context dependency.
PhD manuscript committees
Natasha Pasricha (2013) Supervisor: Prof. M. Joëls, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Marloes Henckens (2013, chair) Supervisor: Prof. G. Fernandez, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Ivo Heitland (2014) Supervisor: Prof. J.L. Kenemans, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Rick van der Doelen (2015, chair) Supervisor: Prof. T. Kozicz, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Gabriela Ferreira de Medeiros (2016) Supervisor: Prof. dr. M.-P. Moisan, Université de Bordeaux, France
Amir Ahmed (2016) Supervisor: Prof. M.G.M. Olde Rikkert, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Dirk Geurts (2017, chair) Supervisor: Prof. R. Cools; Radboud University, The Netherlands
Cynthia Maldonado (2017-present, external member) Supervisor: Dr. G.L. Quirarte, UNAM Queretaro, Mexico
Marjan de Vries (2018) Supervisor: Prof. H. van Goor, Radboudumc, The Netherlands
Mattia Privitera (2018-present, external member) Supervisor: Prof. J. Bohacek, ETH, Zurich Switzerland
Angelica da Silva Lantyer (2018) Supervisor: Prof. T. Celikel, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Euginia Singgih (2020) Supervisor: Prof. B. Franke, Radboudumc, The Netherlands
Esther Holleman (2021) Supervisor: Prof. F. Battaglia, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Martin Perescis (2021, chair) Supervisor: Prof. E.L.J.M. van Luijtelaar, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Tim Emmerzaal (2022, chair) Supervisor: Prof. T. Kozicz, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Xuan Yan (2022, chair) Supervisor: Prof. T. Celikel, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Research grants
2003: NWO Stipend for a two-month sabbatical leave at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. PI (€10,000).
2006: National Science Foundation: Systems mediating glucocorticoid influences on memory consolidation. PI (300,000 USD).
2006: UC MEXUS-Conacyt: Amygdala-striatal interactions on emotionally influenced memory consolidation. PI (50,000 USD).
2008: IBRO: Role of the insular cortex in memory consolidation, Post-doctoral fellowship Dr. R.V. Fornari. Host Supervisor.
2009: NWO Brain and Cognition: Glucocorticoid-endocannabinoid interactions in traumatic memory and posttraumatic stress disorder: a translational approach. PI (€10,000).
2009: National Science Foundation: Involvement of insular and perirhinal cortices in glucocorticoids effects on memory consolidation. PI (55,000 USD).
2009: De Kock Foundation: The role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating glucocorticoid effects on fear memory retrieval. PI (€7,000).
2010: Dobberke Foundation: Comparison of the effects of glucocorticoids and dopamine on memory consolidation of positive and negative taste experiences. PI. collaboration with R. Wichmann ((€6,000).
2011: Abbott Inc.: Effects of a V1b antagonist on blocking stress and glucocorticoid effects on the retrieval of object recognition memory. PI (€50,000).
2012: Hersenstichting Nederland: Translational ‘real-time’ mapping of tissue oxygen neurochemistry to fMRI BOLD signals in emotional memory brain networks. PI (€35,000).
2012: Radboud University Topfund: Stress effects on learning and memory. PI (€875,000).
2013: NWO-ALW: How emotions potentiate learning: convergence of brain stress hormone pathways at the genome. Co-PI, collaboration with Prof. O.C. Meijer (€265,000).
2013: DCN: Dynamical analysis of noradrenergic activation on brain network coherence and memory function using optogenetics. PI, collaboration with Dr. F.P. Battaglia (€237,000).
2013: Dobberke Foundation: Dynamical analysis of noradrenergic activation on brain network coherence and memory function using optogenetics, PI, collaboration with E. Schut (€3,700).
2013: Scholarship from Brazilian Government (Science without Borders); PhD student Angelina Da Silva Lantyer. Sensation in stress: How a stress hormone shapes our perception, PI, collaboration with Prof. T. Celikel.
2014: KNAW: Congress Subsidy. Stress & Cognition: From basic mechanisms to psychopathology. PI (€6,000).
2014: Chinese Student Council; PhD student Yanfen Chen. The role of the insular cortex in emotional learning: relevance for Fragile X syndrome. PI, collaboration with Dr. N Nadif Kasri.
2015: European Space Agency: Consequences of long-term-confinement and hypobaric hypoxia on immunity in the antarctic concordia environment (CHO2ICE II). Co-PI (in kind)
2016: Chinese Student Council; PhD student Huang Wang. The endocannabinoid system and early-life trauma (ELT): towards a personalized treatment for PTSD. Co-PI, collaboration with Dr. E.J. Hermans and Prof. R.J. Verkes.
2016: Chinese Student Council; PhD student Qi Song. How we forget during stress: role of endocytosis of GluA2-AMPA receptors in mediating glucocorticoid effects on memory retrieval. PI.
2016: Chinese Student Council; PhD student Chuan Guo. Role of microRNAs in mediating emotional enhancement of memory accuracy. PI.
2017: Donders Institute ‘Toptalent’ PhD Scholarship; PhD student Sevgi Bahtiyar. Memory generalization by stress: a neurobiological investigation into the effects of glucocorticoids on modulating memory accuracy and systems consolidation. Supervisor, collaboration with Dr. M.J.A.G. Henckens.
2017: KNAW: Congress Subsidy. Second Summer School on Stress & Cognition: From basic mechanisms to psychopathology. Co-PI (€6,000)
2018: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: Noradrenergic arousal and systems consolidation: maintaining memory specificity? Co-PI (€245,000)
2018: Open Research Area (ORA), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and NWO: Stress effects on memory accuracy versus generalisation: Testing a new model based on influencing the temporal dynamics of memory consolidation (StressAcGen). PI (€1,041,000)
2019: ZonMw TOP: Targeted glucocorticoid treatment for HPA-axis dysfunction in post-traumatic stress disorder: toward personalized treatment. PI (€675,000)
2019: European Space Agency: Consequences of long-term-confinement and hypobaric hypoxia on immunity in the antarctic concordia environment (CHO2ICE III). Co-PI (in kind)
2020: ZonMw Translational Research: Donders Summer School on Stress and Cognition (446001060). PI (€10,000)
2021: NWO Open competition XS: A novel technology for long-term mapping of memory representations in the brain. Awarded to Dr. Kubra Gülmez-Karaca in my group. Host (€50,000)
2021: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Research Training Grant: Emotional learning and memory. Mercator Fellow (€5,750,000)
2021: NWO VENI Back in fear: Neuronal footprint of fear relapse in the brain. Awarded to Dr. Kubra Gülmez-Karaca in my group. Host (€280,000)
Invited lectures (2012 – current)
2012, ‘Hormonal regulation of learning and memory processes’, Endo-Neuro-Psycho meeting, Lunteren, The Netherlands.
2012, ‘Critical role of the endocannabinoid system in mediating rapid glucocorticoid effects on memory for emotionally arousing experience’, International Society for Psychoneuroendocrinology, New York, USA.
2012, ‘Glucocorticoids, the amygdala, and memory for emotionally arousing experiences ’Frontiers in Stress and Cognition, Ascona, Switzerland.
2012, ‘Glucocorticoids, the amygdala, and memory for emotionally arousing experiences’, Institut fur Physiologie, Westfallische Wilhelms-Universitat, Munster, Germany.
2012, ‘Glucocorticoids, the amygdala, and memory for emotionally arousing experiences’, Universidad Nacional Autonomo de Mexico, Queretaro, Mexico.
2013, ‘Glucocorticoid effects on memory in health and disease’, FENS/IBRO/SfN school, Bertinoro, Italy.
2013, ‘Critical role of the endocannabinoid system in mediating rapid glucocorticoid effects on memory for emotionally arousing experiences’, European Conference on Traumatic Stress, Bologna, Italy.
2013, ‘Stress, memory, and the amygdala’, Dept. Psychology, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
2013, ‘Involvement of the insular cortex in regulating glucocorticoid effects on memory consolidation’, International Society for Psychoneuroendocrinology, Leiden, The Netherlands.
2013, ‘Involvement of the insular cortex in regulating glucocorticoid effects on memory consolidation’, World Psychiatric Association, Vienna, Austria.
2014, ‘Hormonal regulation of learning and memory processes’, Universidad Complutense de Marid, Madrid, Spain.
2014, Hormonal regulation of learning and memory processes’, Dept Psychology, Uni-Bas, Basel, Switzerland.
2014, ‘Stress hormone effects on learning and memory: from animal studies to clinical relevance’, Dimence Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg, Zwolle, The Netherlands.
2014, ‘Stress en geheugen’, Geneeskunde en BMW bachelor congress, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
2015, ‘Stress, memory, and the amygdala’, Institut fur Physiologie, Westfallische Wilhelms-Universitat, Munster, Germany.
2015, ‘Rodent models of stress and adaptation’, Radboudumc Science Days 2015, The Netherlands.
2015, ‘Stress, memory, and the amygdala’, International UFABC symposium, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2015, ‘Rapid glucocorticoid actions on memory: involvement of the endocannabinoid system’, 9th World Congress International Brain Research Organization, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2015, ‘The sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis interact to influence memory: the experimental understanding’, International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience, Stresa, Italy.
2015, ‘Glucocorticoiden en emotioneel geheugen: relevantie voor angststoornissen’, SCEM psychotraumatisering, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2015, ‘Stress, memory, and the amygdala’, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
2015, ‘Emotional arousal effects on memory consolidation’, Mechanisms of memory consolidation, reconsolidation and extinction and their relevance to psychiatry, BMI – Agalma NCCR Synapsy joint symposium, Lausanne, Switzerland.
2016, Genetics and Neurobiology of fear, discussion leader, Gordon Research Conference, Predator – Prey Interactions, Ventura, California, USA.
2016, ‘Stress and emotional arousal effects on memory’, Keynote speaker, Neuronus – IBRO and IRUN Neuroscience Forum, Krakow, Poland.
2016, ‘Stress and emotional arousal effects on memory: basic findings and clinical relevance’, afdeling psychiatrie, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
2016, ‘Stress effecten op leren en geheugen: relevantie voor angststoornissen’ Geneeskunde en BMW bachelor congress, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
2016, ‘Stress and emotional arousal effects on memory: basic mechanisms and clinical relevance’, Université de Bordeaux, France.
2016, ‘Glucocorticoid-endocannabinoid interactions in influencing memory for emotionally arousing experiences’, PTSD conference, Memorial University, St. John’s, Canada.
2016, ‘Emotional arousal effects on memory accuracy and systems consolidation’, Dept. Psychology, Ruhr Universitat Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
2017, ‘Stress, memory and the amygdala’, The 1st Munich Winter Conference on Stress, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
2017, ‘Stress en geheugeneffecten in psychiatrische stoornissen’, Dimence Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg, Deventer, The Netherlands.
2017, ‘Stress effecten op leren en geheugen: relevantie voor angststoornissen’ Geneeskunde en BMW bachelor congres, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
2017, ‘Stress and emotional arousal effects on memory’ 6th Mediterranean Neuroscience Society, Malta.
2017, ‘Emotional arousal effects on memory’ Anxiety, Stress and Memory, Santiago, Chile.
2017, ‘Emotional arousal effects on memory accuracy and systems consolidation’ Dept. Neuroscience, UNAB, Santiago, Chile.
2017, ‘Emotional arousal effects on memory accuracy and systems consolidation’, UNAM, Queretaro, Mexico.
2017, ‘Stress and emotional arousal effects on memory’, BFZ, Physiol Chem, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
2017, ‘Stress and arousal effects on memory: impact on strength and accuracy’. SILS-CNS. University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2018, ‘Stress and arousal effects on memory: impact on strength and accuracy’ GELIFES, Groningen, The Netherlands.
2018,’Endocannabinoids, stress and memory‘. UC Irvine International Conference on Learning and Memory, Huntington Beach, California, USA.
2018, ‘Stress hormone effects on accuracy and generalization of memory’. Dutch Neuroscience Meeting, Lunteren, The Netherlands
2018, ‘Stress hormone effects on accuracy and generalization of memory’. International Society for Psychoneuroendocrinology, Irvine, California, USA.
2018, ‘Stress hormone effects on accuracy and generalization of memory’. Dept. Psychology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
2018, ‘Stress hormone effects on neural mechanisms underlying strength and accuracy of memory’. ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
2018: ‘Endocannabinoids, stress and memory’. 4th Endocannabinoid pharmacology meeting. Bern, Switzerland.
2019: ‘Stress and memory in rodents: neural mechanisms underlying strength and accuracy’ Dutch-Flemish post-graduate school for Experimental PsychoPathology (EPP), Heeze, The Netherlands.
2019: ‘Stress, glucocorticoids and memory: implications for treating fear-related disorders’. 11th International Congress on Psychopharmacology, Antalya, Turkey.
2019: ‘Stress hormone effects on accuracy and generalization of memory’. 48th Meeting of the European Brain and Behaviour Society, Prague, Czech Republic.
2019: ‘Stress effects on memory: role of endocannabinoid signaling’. Dept. Psychiatry, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
2019: ‘Targeted glucocorticoid treatment for HPA-axis dysfunction in post-traumatic stress disorder: toward personalized treatment’. Stress.nl, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2020: ‘Stress-hormone effects on accuracy and generalization of memory’. University of Texas, Dallas, USA.
2021: ‘Stress-hormone effects on different aspects of memory quality’. Keynote address, Congress of the Chilean Society for Neuroscience, Chile.
2021: ‘Stress-hormone effects on accuracy and generalization of memory’. 10th Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Congress, Tehran, Iran.
2022: ‘Association between memory and fear: stress hormone effects on memory accuracy over time’. 24th European Congress of Endocrinology, Milan, Italy.
Five most cited publications (total number of citations: 19,144; total number of
publications: 188; H-index: 79)
Roozendaal B, McEwen BS, Chattarji S (2009) Stress, memory and the amygdala. Nat Rev Neurosci 10:423-433. (1,043 times cited; IF 33.65).
de Quervain DJ-F, Roozendaal B, McGaugh JL (1998) Stress and glucocorticoids impair retrieval of long-term spatial memory. Nature 394:787-780. (850 times cited; IF 42.78).
McGaugh JL, Roozendaal B (2002) Role of adrenal stress hormones in forming lasting memories in the brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 12:205-210. (573 times cited; IF 6.26).
McGaugh JL, Cahill L, Roozendaal B (1996) Involvement of the amygdala in memory storage: Interaction with other brain systems. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93:13508-13514. (556 times cited; IF 9.41).
de Quervain DJ-F, Roozendaal B, Nitsch RM, McGaugh JL Hock C (2000) Acute cortisone administration impairs retrieval of long-term declarative memory in health human subjects. Nature Neurosci 3:313-314. (532 times cited; IF 20.07).
Median impact factor for neuroscience field(s) 2.79 (Neuroscience: 256 journals)
The top 3 leading Journals in the neuroscience field: Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Brain and
Behavioral Sciences, Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Brief summary of research
Emotional memory enhancement is a well-recognized and highly adaptive survival mechanism
that helps us to remember important life events. However, the same phenomenon is known to
play an important role in the development of traumatic memories and psychiatric disorders,
including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobias. For over 25 years, I have been
investigating the brain processes underlying the impact of stress and emotional arousal on
memory. By using animal models of learning and memory, combined with an array of
pharmacological, molecular and imaging techniques, we have played a leading role in
discovering how glucocorticoid hormones facilitate the formation and storage of emotionally
arousing experiences. Contrasting the enhancing effects of stress hormones on memory
formation, we showed that glucocorticoids impair the recall of previously stored emotional
memories. We found that activation of the basolateral amygdala during emotionally arousing
experiences influences memory storage and recall processes by altering neural plasticity
mechanisms in a wide memory network throughout the brain. We closely collaborate with
clinical researchers and have successfully translated our animal findings to new glucocorticoidbased therapies to improve the treatment for PTSD and phobias.
Teaching activities
CNS master, Cognitive neuroscience of memory (deputy coordinator)
CNS master, Neurobiology of (mal)adaptation (coordinator)
CNS master, Animal models for brain function and disorders
BMW bachelor, Neuroscience of stress-related psychopathology (deputy coordinator)
BMW bachelor, Translational neuroscience
BMW master: Stress-related disorders (coordinator)
BMW master: Neurobiology of stress (coordinator)
BMW master: Animal models of psychiatric and neurological disorders
FNWI bachelor, Behavioral neuroscience
FNWI bachelor, Project cell biophysics
Psychology bachelor, Psychopharmacology and psychopathology
Honours students Radboudumc, bachelor.