University of

The stressed brain Dagytė, Girstautė

IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record

Publication date: 2010

Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database

Citation for published version (APA): Dagytė, G. (2010). The stressed brain: Inquiry into neurobiological changes associated with stress, depression and novel antidepressant treatment. [s.n.].

Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).

Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.

Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.

Download date: 24-09-2021 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The start of my PhD project in Groningen coincided with a lab outing. This event was typically Dutch, called Wadlopen, which translates as “ hiking” and means walking on the muddy bottom of the sea during low tide. Literally! I joined this outing with great enthusiasm, driven by my adventurous nature and curiosity. Likewise, I started my PhD project, excited about new venture and determined to find my way through it. Like in the Wadlopen, some parts of the PhD path were difficult to cross; detours were even made at times. Like in the Wadlopen, other parts of the PhD trip were exciting and fulfilling. Now, at the end of this four-year voyage, I view it as a very special period of my life, which served my thirst for knowledge and granted me invaluable experience.

Along the way, I met a lot of good-willing people, who enriched this venture with their insight and wisdom. A number of them contributed their skills and knowledge to my everyday work; a few of the very special ones granted me their friendship and love. Here, I express my sincere gratitude to all of you.

First of all, I would like to acknowledge my promotores, Hans den Boer, Paul Luiten, and Eddy van der Zee, working with whom has been a great pleasure for me. Hans, I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue this project and freedom to change its course. Your optimism has been of encouragement to me. Paul, thank you so much for welcoming me into your group. Your continual support, both of my PhD work as well as of my future goals, has made it all possible. Eddy, despite the busy agenda, you always had time for extensive data discussions and brainstorming sessions that I have very much enjoyed. Your scientific insight has no boundaries. I truly appreciate your help and input, and I have learned a lot from it!

Besides the promotores, this thesis was shaped by several other people, involved in different parts of the project. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Servier team, especially Cecilia Gabriel, Elisabeth Mocaër, and Laure Seguin, who provided financial support as well as scientific input regarding research on agomelatine. Cecilia, we exchanged hundreds of e-mails while planning experiments and discussing the data. Thanks for your patience and eagerness to brainstorm. Elisabeth and Laure, I am grateful for your input too. Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge Peter Meerlo, who guided me in the beginning of this project. Peter, thank you for all your help, critical remarks on experiments and manuscripts, and our scientific discussions. I appreciate your time and effort. Also, I am grateful to Andrea Trentani, who paved the way for this project by obtaining a grant from

209

Servier. Andrea, thank you (and Sjoukje, in whose footsteps I seem to follow) for bringing me to Groningen! Both of you supported me in choosing and pursuing the PhD project, and I am happy to see you at its defense too. Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to Jaap Koolhaas for our collaborations and intriguing discussions. Jaap, I enjoyed learning from your insights in the stress field and appreciate your willingness to evaluate my thesis.

I am also thankful to the other two members of the reading committee, Brigitte Kudielka and Ben Westerink, for time they have invested in reviewing the thesis.

This work would not have been done in a four-year period without the skillful help of our technicians. Folkert, jij hebt mij altijd en in alles gesteund, en mij heel veel geholpen. Door jou werd ook mijn Nederlands elke dag beter. Hartelijk bedankt voor alles! Jan K., your troubleshooting skills are legendary. Thanks a lot for all your help, from lab bench to PC! Jan B., I am grateful for your skilled hormone analysis – always so quick and neatly presented. Wanda and Bert – thanks for your support too. It goes without saying that this work would not have been possible without our animal caretakers. Linda, Jaap en Auke, bedankt voor jullie hulp (ook voor de schaatslessen, Auke). And it would have been much of a bureaucratic hassle without kind support of the administrative staff. Pleunie, Joke, Margo, Jacqueline en Henk, zonder jullie hulp was het gehele proces van promoveren ongetwijfeld moeizamer gegaan. Zonder grapjes van Henk was het ook veel saaier geweest! My appreciation also goes to the BCN for funding courses and conferences, and for hosting so many gezellig activities.

I would further like to acknowledge the students who joined this project and helped to accomplish it. In particular, Anniek Visser, Tim de Jager, Rudy Dupree, and Ilaria Crescente – thank you all for your hard work, invested time and efforts as well as for teaching me how to become a better teacher.

A special word of thanks goes to my fellow PhD students. Arianna and Henriëtte, my roomies, and Paulien, who was around often enough to feel like a roomy, thanks for sharing the “ups and downs” of the PhD student’s life, all the fun chit-chats, and tips about work-related and non-related stuff (especially, Dutch and Italian expressions!). In the first years, we also spent many evenings together, going out with Izabella, Jose, Marcelo, and the others. I look back to those times with a smile on my face! Izabella, your endless energy radiates even from Barcelona, and your out-of-the-box personality continues to impress me. Jose, thanks for the help with statistics. Marcelo, you genially transformed my simple idea to an artistic thesis cover – thank you so much for helping me out! I am grateful to all other colleagues, both junior and senior, whose presence made my work easier and

210

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS breaks between it more enjoyable. Without mentioning names, thank you all for helping me with various lab techniques and scientific issues as well as for your pleasant company at work and outside it.

Deepa, I have very much enjoyed our breaks in the library and conversations over a cup of tea. Timur, our climbing sessions were lots of fun (just like your popular science stories). Ivi & Lotte, thanks for your friendship, delicious dinners and sport sessions of badminton and beach-volley. Our lasagna competition seems to continue even after you moved out of Groningen! Pieter, I hope we will play beach- volley next summer again. Thanks for sharing the BBQ secrets too! Niki & Geza, I am looking forward to more camping trips! Kristin, your friendly company – first at the BC, then at Bjoeks and over drinks in town – will never be forgotten!

To my friends outside the lab, thank you for all the socializing, many delightful dinners, sporting and traveling together. Sara, Hoeke, Ruut, Ale, Erka, Fiora, Jeroen, Ivanka, Milena, and Primož – you have made me feel at home in Groningen! Hoeke, thanks for the warm welcome in too!

Liesbeth, bedankt voor jouw vriendelijke conversatielessen. Ik vond het echt gezellig met jou te kletsen en mijn kennis in de Nederlandse taal te verbreden. Alida, ook jou wil ik bedanken voor jouw hulp met het Nederlands en jouw vriendschap.

My gratitude also goes to all good friends that I have made while living in Vilnius, Kuopio, and Bergen. My friends back home, especially Neringa, Viktorija, and Daiva – thanks for all your emotional support throughout the years. Friends from Kuopio – despite scarce e-mails and visits, you are often in my thoughts. The Haukelandsbakken gang – I look back with fond memories on our kitchen parties and hiking trips. No matter where we all settle down, the happy memories will always keep you close to me! My deep appreciation also goes to all the teachers, professors and doctors in Lithuania, Finland and Norway, who eagerly taught me, and to all the people who made my life there more cozy and enjoyable!

Sara and Sjoukje, my paranimfen and wonderful friends, I feel fortunate to have met you! Sara, I am so glad to have joined the trip to where our friendship started. My diving buddy, swimming partner, travel guide and shopping mate – these are only few of many occasions when you have been my paranimf in the last couple of years. Defending the PhD thesis in the same week only adds to a bunch of unforgettable moments we have shared! Sjoukje, who else if not you could have been my other paranimf?! Without your contribution and encouragement I would have not embarked on this project. Thank you so much for your friendship, emotional support and lots of great memories from Bergen! I am looking forward to the day you move back to Holland!

211

Most of all, I am indebted to my family for their unending support and love, and for raising me up to the person I am today. Mama, Tete, Eigminai, Sirvydai, Vilgaile ir Tolmantai – kaip smagu buvo užaugti tokioj didelėj šeimynoj! Tuomet dar neįvertinau, kiek iš kiekvieno jūsų daug išmoksiu ir kaip jumis didžiuosiuos. Nors ir nedažnai matomės, jūs visados mano mintyse. Labai jus myliu! Močiute, ačiū už nuostabias vaikystės vasaras Varniuose! Dėkoju ir visiems kitiems artimiesiems, neminėdama vardų, už smagias viešnages ir šiltus linkėjimus. To my relatives in the US – it was very nice getting to know you. Sam, aka mosp, thanks for your humorous messages and insightful advices! Adele, Alfonso e Clotilde, grazie per avermi accolto calorosamente nella vostra casa, e per aver cresciuto ed educato Massimo ad essere una persona meravigliosa!

Mio carissimo Massimo, you know like no one else what effort it took to prepare this book. Thanks for the much needed help with the layout, but most of all, for your patience, care and love. I am grateful for every day with you and I am sure this is just the beginning of a long journey together. Ti amo tantissimo!

Thanks, Bedankt, Ačiū, Grazie... to all of you!

Girstė

212