Profile photo Cora Nijboer

Cora Nijboer

Full Professor

Biography

Cora Nijboer was born on November 5th 1980. She studied Medical Biology at Utrecht University which she graduated with honors in 2003. She started as a PhD student in 2003 at a collaborative project between the Laboratory of Neuroimmunology and Developmental Origins of Disease (NIDOD) and the Department of Neonatology at the UMCU under supervision of Professor Heijnen and Professor van Bel. She studied novel treatment strategies to combat neonatal brain damage after hypoxia-ischemia. In 2008 this work resulted in her PhD thesis: “Protecting the newborn brain: molecular mechanisms & therapeutic targets”.  

After finishing her PhD she continued her research as a post-doctoral researcher at the NIDOD Laboratory of the UMCU. She has extensively studied how peripheral treatment with small (peptide) inhibitors of crucial cell signaling pathways, including NF-κB, JNK and p53, can reduce cerebral cell death after hypoxia-ischemia in newborn rodents. Her area of interest also includes regenerative...

Research groups

Developmental neurobiology

Research aim

It is our goal to increase fundamental knowledge of maturing synaptic connections that moderate cerebellar interactions with cerebral networks. We contribute to improving the bed-to-bench translation of brain therapies for adverse early life events.
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Protection and repair of the injured newborn brain

Research aim

Our mission is to unravel the impact of early life adversity, such as perinatal asphyxia and stroke, preterm birth and early life stress on brain development and to design strategies to improve outcome of affected infants, shaping a better future.
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Neonatal neurobehavior and outcome

Research aim

Our aim is to explore how neonatal neurobehavior and environmental factors impact brain development, especially focusing on NICU infants both with and without brain injuries, in order to improve long term outcome.
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Recent publications

Timed fetal inflammation and postnatal hypoxia cause cortical white matter injury, interneuron imbalances, and behavioral deficits in a double-hit rat model of encephalopathy of prematurity M. J.V. Brandt, C. M. Kosmeijer, E. J.M. Achterberg, C. G.M. de Theije, C. H. Nijboer
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Health, 2024, vol. 40
Dietary LPC-Bound n-3 LCPUFA Protects against Neonatal Brain Injury in Mice but Does Not Enhance Stem Cell Therapy. Eva C Hermans, Carlon C E van Gerven, Line Johnsen, Jørn E Tungen, Cora H Nijboer, Caroline G M de Theije
Nutrients, 2024, vol. 16
Uneven Distribution of Purkinje Cell Injury in the Cerebellar Vermis of Term Neonates with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Kim V Annink, Ilona C E van Leeuwen, Nina A Smeets, Lianne A J Peeters, Niek E van der Aa, Thomas Alderliesten, Floris Groenendaal, Reint K Jellema, Cora H A Nijboer, Peter G J Nikkels, Martin Lammens, Manon J N L Benders, Freek E Hoebeek, Jeroen Dudink
Cerebellum (London,...
Ultrasonic vocalization emission is altered following neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in mice Eva C Hermans, Caroline G M de Theije, Cora H Nijboer, E J Marijke Achterberg
Behavioural Brain Research, 2024, vol. 471
Nutritional supplementation for the prevention and treatment of neonatal brain injury Myrna J.V. Brandt, Cora H. Nijboer, Ruurd M. van Elburg, Manon J.N.L. Benders, Caroline G.M. de Theije
2023, p.833-853
Cognitive performance during adulthood in a rat model of neonatal diffuse white matter injury E J Marijke Achterberg, Ralf J van Oldeniel, Erik van Tilborg, Jeroen P H Verharen, Cora H Nijboer, Louk J M J Vanderschuren
Psychopharmacology, 2022, vol. 239, p.745-764