Martien Kas
Martien J. H. Kas is professor at the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands, where he leads the behavioural neuroscience research group. His research aims to develop a quantitative, transdiagnostic and translational neurobiological approach to the understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders in order to accelerate the discovery and development of better treatments. The ability to precisely link neuropsychiatric symptoms to underlying neurobiology will not only facilitate the development of better treatments, it will also allow physicians to provide people living with a neuropsychiatric condition with a better understanding of the complexities and management of their illness.
From 2022-2025, he was the President of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the largest European organization for neuroscience applied research. ECNP provides a platform for interactions between scientists, patients and their families, pharmaceutical industry and regulators for optimizing the treatment of brain disorders, and organizes many activities, including an annual congress with 6500-7500 participants. As ECNP President he initiated the Precision Psychiatry Roadmap initiative. The outline of the .
Career
Kas received his M.Sc. in biology, with specialization in neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and ethology from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from Stanford University and the University of Groningen. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University Medical Center Utrecht and was a visiting scientist at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry. He was an associate professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, at the University [Medical Center Utrecht]By applying interspecies genetic analysis of neurobehavioral traits, Kas' research aims to identify functional genotype–phenotype relationships relevant to the development and etiology-directed treatments for brain disorders, such as Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Alzheimer's disease.
Kas is currently serving as Past-President of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology for the term 2025-2028, having previously served as President, President-elect, Secretary and Councilor.
Since 2024, he is also a voting member of the Future Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Strategic Committee. The Future DSM Strategic Committee's work, detailed in, proposes transforming the manual into a dynamic "living document" using a four-domain diagnostic model that integrates biomarkers, social and environmental determinants, transdiagnostic features, and patient-centered functioning to improve scientific rigor and clinical inclusivity.