{{Short description|Dutch neurogeneticist}} '''Rosa Rademakers''' (28 June 1978, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)<ref name="l114">{{cite web | last=Nijst | first=Ismaël | title=Generet Award for Rare Diseases | website=Generet | date=4 July 1969 | url=https://www.generetaward.be/laureates.html | language=fr | access-date=20 April 2026}}</ref> is a Dutch neurogeneticist and professor at the VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neuroscience. Her research centers on the genetic basis of neurodegenerative diseases, such as identifying causal genes and their function, exploring familial risk factors, and the mechanism of the degeneration.<ref name="Mayo Clinic">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/rademakers-rosa-ph-d/bio-00094349|title=Rosa Rademakers, Ph.D.|website=Mayo Clinic|language=en|access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> Her neurodegenerative diseases of focus include "Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)."<ref name="Mayo Clinic" /> She received a degree in Biochemistry, and a Ph.D. in Science, all from the University of Antwerp.<ref name="Mayo Clinic" /> Originally from the Netherlands, she came to the Mayo Clinic in 2005 for a post-doctoral fellowship, and in 2007 she was given a lab director position.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mayo Clinic researcher honored with prestigious award|url=https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20160416/NEWS/801246595|last=Patton|first=Charlie|website=The Florida Times-Union|language=en|access-date=2020-05-09}}</ref> In 2019, she moved back to Belgium to head the VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neuroscience as Scientific Director.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boffé |first=Aurélie |date=2019-06-24 |title=Rosa Rademakers volgt Christine Van Broeckhoven op bij het Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/06/21/rosa-rademakers-volgt-christine-van-broeckhoven-op/ |website=VRT News}}</ref>
== Scientific research focus areas == Rademakers has researched mutations within genetic regulators of progranulin (GRN), which can cause early-onset dementia. She worked to develop a test to identify carriers of this mutation.<ref name="Mayo Clinic" /> This blood test identifies mutations in order to detect and understand the gene's regulation.<ref name="Punksy-2016" />
Her lab has also researched a mutation within the ''C9orf72'' gene that contributes to the development of ALS and FTD.<ref name="Mayo Clinic" /> Her research discovered that this is the genetic basis for a majority of ALS and FTD cases.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Allen|first=Heather|url=https://als.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2012-Manual-People-Living-With-ALS-English.pdf|title=A Manual for People Living with ALS|last2=Beggs|first2=Kathleen|last3=Cleary|first3=Stuart|last4=Dibranon|first4=Shelley|last5=Durham|first5=Heather|last6=Findlater|first6=Karen|last7=Forseth|first7=Nancy|last8=Hall|first8=Karen|last9=Libramonte|first9=Jennifer|publisher=ALS Society of Canada|others=Douglas McKim, Leann Merla,Gwyneth Moe, Lorraine Papineau, Brigitte Poirier, Nicole Shuckett, Amy Shuster|year=2012}}</ref> She received the 2016 Potamkin Prize based on this research.<ref name="Punksy-2016">{{Cite web|url=https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/florida-scientist-to-receive-international-award-for-advances-in-dementia-research/|title=Florida Scientist to Receive International Award for Advances in Dementia Research|last=Punksy|first=Kevin|date=2016-04-05|website=Mayo Clinic|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref>
Rademakers is working on research of causal genes and disease mechanisms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Her research team aims to sequence parts of the genome of patients with the disease in order to identify novel potential causes.<ref name="Mayo Clinic" /> She has also worked to sequence genes related to FTD.<ref>{{Cite web|title=11th ICFTD Meeting in Sydney Sorts Out Clinical Subtypes {{!}} ALZFORUM|url=https://www.alzforum.org/news/conference-coverage/11th-icftd-meeting-sydney-sorts-out-clinical-subtypes|website=www.alzforum.org|access-date=2020-05-09}}</ref>
Rademakers is also researching tau protein accumulation by whole-genome sequencing of families.<ref name="Mayo Clinic" />
== Notable professional achievements ==
* Rademakers has filed six patents for detection and treatment of dementia<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patents.justia.com/inventor/rosa-rademakers|title=Rosa Rademakers Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications – Justia Patents Search|website=patents.justia.com|access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> * Rademakers has been a contributing author on over 300 peer-reviewed academic journal articles<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mayo.edu/research/searchpublications/publications?authid=14630541|title=Publications – Mayo Clinic|website=www.mayo.edu|access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> *Committee Member of the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Executive Committee<ref>{{Cite web|title=NCRAD – Executive Committee|url=https://ncrad.iu.edu/ncrad_executive_committee.html|website=ncrad.iu.edu|access-date=2020-05-09}}</ref> *Mildred A. and Henry Uihlein II Professor of Medical Research at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine<ref name="Punksy-2016" />
== Awards and honours == * 2016 – Potamkin Prize<ref name="Punksy-2016" /> * 2017 – Research Program Award (R35) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/about-funding/research-program-award-r35/research-program-award-r35-recipients/rosa-rademakers|title=Rosa Rademakers, Ph.D.|website=National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke|access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> * 2026 – Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences<ref>{{Cite web |last=De Maeseneer |first=Wim |date=2026-04-19 |title=Antwerpse onderzoekster Rosa Rademakers wint prestigieuze 'Oscar van de wetenschap' voor baanbrekende ontdekking over dementie en ALS {{!}} VRT NWS Nieuws |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/04/17/rosa-rademakers-breakthrough-prize/ |access-date=2026-04-19 |website=VRTNWS |language=nl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Breakthrough Prize – Breakthrough Prize Announces 2026 Laureates |url=https://breakthroughprize.org/News/98 |access-date=2026-04-19 |website=breakthroughprize.org |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rademakers, Rosa}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:University of Antwerp alumni Category:Mayo Clinic people Category:American women neuroscientists Category:American neuroscientists Category:Dutch women neuroscientists Category:Dutch geneticists Category:American medical researchers Category:Dutch medical researchers Category:Alzheimer's disease researchers Category:21st-century American women Category:21st-century Dutch women scientists Category:Dutch emigrants to the United States