Henne Holstege

Henne Holstege (born 14 November 1975) is a Dutch researcher who is an associate professor in the Department of Human Genetics at Amsterdam University Medical Center. She works at the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam and is affiliated with the Delft Bioinformatics Lab at Delft University of Technology. Her research has examined genetic factors associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, as well as factors that may contribute to maintaining high levels of cognitive function into extreme old age.

Early life and education Holstege studied biochemistry at Leiden University. During her studies, she spent a year at Harvard University, where she investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in satiety. She later completed a PhD at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, researching somatic genetic alterations associated with the development of breast cancer. Following her doctorate, Holstege shifted her research focus from cancer genetics to the molecular genetics of ageing and neurodegeneration.

Research and career Hostege looks to identify the biological mechanisms of healthy cognitive ageing. Her research combines genetic, proteomic, immunological and neuropathological data to investigate why some people avoid or delay cognitive decline. Her findings suggest that cognitively healthy centenarians carry a greater proportion of protective genetic variants and fewer variants associated with Alzheimer's disease risk. SORL1 encodes a protein involved in transporting proteins within cells, including between the endolysosomal system, the cell surface and the trans-Golgi network. The EMERALD (Epigenomic Mechanisms of Extreme Resilience and APOE Liability in Dementia) project investigates why some people remain cognitively healthy into extreme old age despite genetic risk factors or Alzheimer's-related brain pathology. Using brain tissue from cognitively healthy centenarians in the 100-plus Study, researchers will examine gene regulation across several brain-cell types to identify protective mechanisms that may inform new approaches to preventing or delaying dementia.

Selected publications

Personal life Holstege has three daughters.