Dr. Caroline Nettekoven Awarded Prestigious Wellcome Early Career Award

London, ON – September 4, 2024

The Western Institute of Neuroscience (WIN) is pleased to announce that Dr. Caroline Nettekoven has been awarded the Early Career Award from The Wellcome, recognizing her groundbreaking research on cerebellar function. This prestigious award will provide Dr. Nettekoven with £755,023 over five years to further her innovative research at three leading institutions: the University of Oxford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Nettekoven is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Western University, working under Dr. Joern Diedrichsen, funded by both BrainsCAN and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Her research aims to explore the effects of focused ultrasound stimulation on the cerebellum and its impact on movement and cognition. Her proposal, titled “Using Individualised Cerebellar Ultrasound Stimulation to Establish a Causal Cerebellar Contribution to Social Cognition,” builds on her pioneering postdoctoral work at Western University, where she developed the functional atlas of the cerebellum that will guide her ultrasound stimulation interventions.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Early Career Wellcome Fellowship,” said Dr. Nettekoven. “This funding will be instrumental in advancing our understanding of cerebellar function and its impact on social cognition and could pave the way for innovative therapies for patients with cerebellar disorders.”

“We’re delighted to highlight and elevate the work of Dr. Nettekoven,” says Dr. Shawn Whitehead, Director of the Western Institute for Neuroscience. “This groundbreaking work in social cognition is critically important to our community in London, and this prestigious award is well deserved recognition for the entire research team”.

The award will support Dr. Nettekoven in her quest to understand both healthy cerebellar function and its dysfunction, particularly in the context of spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), a degenerative condition affecting the cerebellum. By tracking neurochemical changes in cerebellar regions, Dr. Nettekoven further aims to elucidate the physiological mechanisms behind the effects of stimulation. Her work promises to revolutionize cognitive neuroscience by highlighting the crucial role of the cerebellum in social cognition.

About Dr. Caroline Nettekoven
Dr. Caroline Nettekoven is a leading early-career researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience, with a focus on cerebellar function and its implications for movement and cognition. Her innovative postdoctoral work at Western University has been recognized for its potential to transform our understanding of cerebellar function and its role in various neurological condition.

About the Western Institute for Neuroscience

The Western Institute for Neuroscience was established in 2020 to bring together and enhance collaboration among basic and applied researchers and clinicians, with expertise in various disciplines and approaches. Western's neuroscience community is home to world-class facilities and training programs, and the institute aims to elevate and accelerate the impact of neuroscience research on society by tackling community-driven large-scale initiatives such as promoting and implementing strategies around sustainable brain health and building strategies around supporting those with chronic pain in the context of mental health, addiction and homelessness.