Contact Details
Maastricht University and BioSB
P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Prof. Dr. Ir. Ilja Arts

+31 43 38 81121
Hotel Description
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The Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology (MaCSBio)
The Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology (MaCSBio) is the youngest research centre of Maastricht University. As an interfaculty research institute, it is part of the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS), the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), and the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Science (FHML).
With the advent of new high-throughput omics and imaging techniques, vast amounts of biological data are being generated. In order to extract and integrate all meaningful information that lies in these multi-dimensional datasets, innovative systems biology solutions are required. The primary aim of the Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology (MaCSBio) is to facilitate the integration of biological data coming from several empirical domains using mathematical multi-scale modelling approaches. MaCSBio therefore has many collaborations with labs generating scientific data with high field MRI, mass spectrometry, genomic sequencing, gene expression profiling and metabolic profiling.
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Research lines
There are two research lines within MaCSBio, aimed at developing and applying systems biology approaches to i) personalized prevention of chronic diseases in the ‘obese system’ and ii) modelling experience and disease-induced modifications in neural and genetic networks.
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Research Line 1: Systems medicine of chronic diseases.
By studying the ‘obese system’, we aim to improve our mechanistic insight into the development of chronic diseases, and to identify new strategies for prevention and treatment based on personalized risk profiles for the obese. We will focus on data- and knowledge-driven approaches to integrate and mathematically model multi-omics data with phenotypic continuous traits, and disease states, in the context of interacting environmental factors. We will make use of the large body of human data and samples available in Maastricht.
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Research Line 2: Computational and systems neuroscience.
This multidisciplinary research program has the overall goal of achieving new insights into the processes of normal and abnormal experience induced modifications in brain and genetic networks, using mathematical tools and modeling approaches to bridge research domains and spatial scales of inquiry. The startup of the program will focus on i) advancing dynamical systems theories for modeling complex biological networks and on applying these models to study ii) the neural mechanisms of experience-induced changes in healthy brain networks and cognitive processes and iii) the genomic mechanisms underlying disease-induced changes in these networks and processes.
- Biomedical & health
- Agri & Food
- Other
- mathematical and computational modelling
- systems and network biology
- biophysics
- biostatistics and machine learning
- imaging and image analysis
- neurosciences
- psychology (perception, attention and learning)
- obesity and type 2 diabetes
- oncology
- cardiovascular diseases
Expertise and Track Record
435002017 Modelling longitudinal multi-omics responses to a weight loss diet: ADAPTing DIOGenes (TU/e and Maastricht University).
MaCSBio acts as an interdisciplinary centre, connecting to many different research groups with unique facilities within Maastricht University, such as advanced MRI imaging (Brains Unlimited), Molecular Imaging (M4I). Additionally, MaCSBio has access to a large body of data (omics, imaging, lifestyle, phenotypic) from several large cohort studies, such as De Maastricht Studie and the Dutch BIOS Consortium.
Our multi-disciplinary team consists of molecular biologists, neuroscientists, engineers, mathematicians, bioinformaticians and biostatisticians. This unique combination of expertise has fostered a young and dynamic working environment that is essential to successful systems biology research.
We kindly refer to our website.
The two research lines of MaCSBio were set up as cross-technology projects. Within these research lines we are integrating different types of human data: omics, lifestyle, phenotypic, imaging (fMRI) from large set of projects (Envirogenomarkers, EnCoRe, HeCaToS, The Maastricht Study, CODAM, EnvironAge, DIOGENES, NLCS, ImaGene, Human Brain Project, PROPANE STUDY and many more).
- We kindly refer to our website.
We are part of SB@NL and BioSB.
Hotel Characteristics
- 6 dedicated postdocs
- 2 dedicated assistant professors
- 1 dedicated bioinformatician/statistician
- 1 IT specialist
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- Apart from an extensive computational server facility, we do not house equipment directly at our facility. Through our collaborations, we have access to cutting edge lab equipment and techniques.
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ArrayExpress and Gene Expression Omnibus