Why psychology, why Maastricht? “Well ...” After a moment of hesitation, he decides that the truth must be told. “It was Dr Phil. Watching Dr Phil, I saw that apparently you could study thoughts, feelings and behaviour at a deep level. And at an Open Day in Maastricht, I discovered that you could combine psychology with other interesting programmes, like law and medicine. I was a typical high schooler who didn’t know what to study. But I went to a lecture by the legal psychologist Marko Jelicic, who talked about the fallibility of memory and the reliability of witnesses in a court case. I wanted to learn about cool stuff like that.”

During his studies, Van den Hurk became more and more intrigued by the brain, in particular the MRI technique that facilitates functional brain research. “I find it fascinating how brain matter—neurons—give rise to the human mind.” His teachers were his role models. “I was impressed by their knowledge and skills. People like Federico de Martino have always inspired me. He may even be the reason I got involved in artificial intelligence as a way to approach brain data.”

A sensitive breast reconstruction

After his PhD, Van den Hurk was asked to conduct research at the MRI centre Scannexus. He manages innovative projects in the field of functional brain research. Often these involve possible future treatments, such as a breast reconstruction that allows for physical sensation. “When new breasts are created after a mastectomy, the main nerve pathways and blood vessels are connected to those of the transplanted skin of the new breasts. This way, women regain feeling in their breasts. What we’re investigating is whether the sensation that a woman feels in a specific breast area after such surgery is also visible neurologically, as it is in healthy women. Can they distinguish between the stimulation of different parts of the breast? What’s nice is that it’s not only about the brain, but also about the consequences for a person’s life.”