Nathalie Van Den Berge

Principal Investigator - Van Den Berge Lab 

I hold a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees in engineering, as well as a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium. My research bridges basic and clinical science, with a central focus on understanding the biological basis of Parkinson’s disease heterogeneity and developing biomarkers for disease subtypes.

I established my independent research group at Aarhus University in 2021, supported by early-career awards from the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF Sapere Aude) and the U.S. Department of Defense. I lead the international EU-funded consortium (JPND 2021) investigating multi-organ dysfunction across Parkinson’s disease subtypes.

The Van Den Berge Lab investigates Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related neurodegenerative disorders from a whole-body perspective, with a focus on early non-motor disease, disease heterogeneity, mixed pathologies, and factors beyond the brain.

Our central hypothesis is that disease onset site (body or brain), pathology type, and cardiometabolic risk factors interact to shape the clinical phenotype of PD. Yet, these factors are rarely integrated into conventional animal models, limiting their ability to capture the complexity of human disease.

Our mission is to develop comprehensive and clinically relevant models of PD subtypes for preclinical validation of disease-modifying therapies and development of early biomarkers. We combine rodent models of body-first and brain-first disease with cardiometabolic ageing and co-pathologies to better reflect the biological complexity of PD.

Using a multidisciplinary approach, we integrate whole-body PET imaging of the brain, heart, and gut; detailed characterization of pathology across organs using histology, spectrometry, and electron microscopy; functional assessment of cardiac and enteric systems; and translational validation in patient post-mortem tissue and peripheral biopsies.

By moving beyond a brain-centered view of PD, we aim to identify mechanisms and biomarkers that distinguish disease subtypes and ultimately enable earlier diagnosis and personalized, subtype-specific interventions.

Alongside my research, I established and coordinate the PhD course Introduction to Neurodegenerative Diseases and Disease Models (C319/03).

I lead the Van Den Berge Lab, with responsibility for research, education, and financial management. I foster a transparent and inclusive environment that promotes independent critical thinking, research freedom, responsible research practices, and career development. I secure competitive funding to provide resources for high-quality science, support my team, and the university. My responsibilities also include teaching, mentoring, and building interdisciplinary collaborations across academia and industry.