A. (Antoinette) Maassen van den Brink, PhD

I am Professor of Pharmacology at the Dept. of Internal Medicine. After studying Biomedical Sciences in Leiden, I obtained my PhD at the Department of Pharmacology at the (current) Erasmus MC, studying the coronary side effects of antimigraine drugs. I currently investigate the neurovascular aspects of migraine, with a special emphasis on the role of female sex steroids.

I study neurovascular pharmacology with a special interest in the role of female sex hormones on the pathophysiology and cardiovascular risk of migraine. My research is translational in origin, including animal in vivo experimental models, human isolated tissue models, as well as human in vivo clinical models. In the past we performed landmark studies in relation to the triptans (i.e., 5 HT1B/1D receptor agonists), including pharmacogenetic trials. We are currently involved in the investigation of CGRP-ergic ligands in relation to antimigraine treatment and study the role of female sex hormones in migraine.

• 2011 - current: Associate Professor of Pharmacology of Migraine, Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC
• 2004 - 2011: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Erasmus MC
• 1999 - 2003: Scientific Investigator, Department of Pharmacology, Erasmus MC
• 1994 - 1999: PhD research project at the Department of Pharmacology, Erasmus MC
• 1989 - 1994: Biomedical Sciences, Leiden University.

I published >130 papers in international, peer-reviewed journals.

Teaching at the Erasmus MC, medical curriculum with lectures, self-study assignments, as well as practical courses in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd bachelor year). Besides the medical curriculum, I am teaching in the Clinical Technology program, the Erasmus University College, COEUR courses, as well as in the NIHES courses on Women’s Health and Psychopharmacology. I am a guest lecturer at the University of Amsterdam. Further, I am Head of Junior Med School at Erasmus MC.  Finally, on behalf of the Dutch Pharmacological Society, I am part of the team that developed the national ‘eindtoets farmacotherapie’, which was recently implemented at the Erasmus MC. I supervised eight PhD theses and am currently supervising five PhD students.

I am head of the Junior Med School and PI of the Academic Center of Excellence GESTURE (gender studies). I am a board member of the Dutch Headache Society, Dutch Pharmacology Society and founding board member of the Dutch Society for Gender and Health. Further, I serve as a board member for the European Headache Federation and the Federation of European Pharmacological Societies.

I received many prestigious research grants and awards from the American Headache Society, International Headache Society, Dutch Heart Foundation, Dutch Brain Foundation, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, as well as the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), including the VENI and VIDI grant.