The Amyloid Atlas is a comprehensive, continuously updated visual repository of amyloid fibril structures, curated by Michael Sawaya and collaborators. Featuring more than 700 cryo‑EM and NMR‑resolved fibril structures, the Atlas enables researchers to compare amyloid polymorphs across proteins, disease contexts, and experimental conditions. Its detailed structural illustrations and accompanying metadata support mechanistic insight into how amyloid assemblies form, diversify, and contribute to disease. 

For the VIB‑KU Leuven Center for Neuroscience, the Atlas is an important resource for understanding the molecular architecture of amyloid aggregates implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. By providing a unified structural reference, it accelerates hypothesis generation, supports therapeutic design, and strengthens collaborations across the global amyloid research community.

Amyloid Explorer is an open‑access platform that integrates the full archive of experimentally determined amyloid fibril structures into a standardized, thermodynamically annotated database. It offers interactive 3D visualization, residue‑level stability maps, and tools for comparing fibril polymorphs across proteins and disease states. By harmonizing more than 600 high‑resolution structures, the platform reveals conserved principles of amyloid assembly and provides a powerful discovery engine for understanding aggregation mechanisms. 

Researchers at VIB‑KU Leuven contribute to and benefit from this resource, which supports the design of aggregation modulators, the interpretation of disease‑linked mutations, and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Amyloid Explorer exemplifies how large‑scale, curated structural data can transform the study of protein misfolding disorders. 

The Alzforum SORL1 mutation database compiles hundreds of rare variants in the SORL1 gene, now recognized as a major causal gene for familial Alzheimer’s disease. The interactive resource maps more than 500 variants onto the protein’s domain architecture and integrates functional, genetic, and clinical evidence to assess pathogenicity. Recent studies led by Henne Holstege and collaborators show that many SORL1 variants disrupt trafficking, dimerization, or maturation of the receptor, thereby increasing amyloidogenic processing. 

This database is a critical tool for clinicians and researchers working to interpret genetic findings, understand disease mechanisms, and identify high‑risk variants. For VIB‑KU Leuven scientists, it provides a robust framework for linking molecular dysfunction to Alzheimer’s pathology and for guiding precision‑medicine approaches.

The Alzheimer Genetics Hub is a secure European platform designed to integrate large‑scale genetic datasets from international Alzheimer’s disease consortia. Launched with contributions from Henne Holstege, the Hub enables researchers to analyze rare, high‑impact variants by pooling data from tens of thousands of patients and controls. Its GDPR‑compliant environment, built with SURF infrastructure, supports collaborative analyses that would be impossible within isolated datasets. 

By centralizing data and harmonizing workflows, the Hub accelerates the discovery of genetic risk factors, improves diagnostic accuracy, and strengthens global cooperation in Alzheimer’s research. It is a cornerstone resource for teams investigating the genetic architecture of neurodegeneration.

The Fly Cell Atlas (FCA) is a global effort to generate a complete single‑cell transcriptomic atlas of the adult fruit fly. Through large‑scale snRNA‑seq profiling of more than 580,000 cells across 15 tissues, the consortium has identified over 250 cell types and created a foundational reference for Drosophila biology. Data analysis teams in Leuven, led by Stein Aerts, played a central role in integrating datasets and annotating cell types. 

The FCA enables systematic comparisons of gene expression across tissues, sexes, and conditions, supporting research into development, neurobiology, and disease modeling. Its open datasets and tools empower the community to explore regulatory networks and genetic perturbations at single‑cell resolution.

The Biodiversity Cell Atlas (BCA) is an international initiative to map cell types across the eukaryotic tree of life using single‑cell genomics. By generating molecular atlases for diverse species, the consortium aims to uncover the evolutionary origins of cell types and the regulatory programs that shape them. Stein Aerts contributes to this effort through expertise in computational biology and single‑cell analysis. 

The BCA provides a transformative framework for comparing cell states across species, linking molecular diversity to evolutionary history, and informing models of development, regeneration, and disease. Its phylogenetically informed approach expands the scope of single‑cell biology beyond traditional model organisms. 

The Genome Regulatory Code Consortium (GRCC) unites researchers working to decipher how DNA sequence encodes gene regulation. By combining synthetic DNA libraries, high‑throughput functional assays, and machine learning, the consortium aims to build predictive models of regulatory activity. 

For neuroscience and disease research, understanding the regulatory code is essential for interpreting non‑coding variants, mapping cell‑type‑specific enhancers, and uncovering mechanisms underlying complex traits. The GRCC’s big‑data approach complements single‑cell and genomic initiatives across VIB‑KU Leuven.

GP2 is a worldwide initiative to genotype more than 250,000 individuals to map the genetic architecture of Parkinson’s disease. Supported by the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative, GP2 integrates genomic and clinical data from diverse populations and provides open training resources for researchers. 

By harmonizing datasets and expanding representation in genetic studies, GP2 accelerates the discovery of risk variants and informs therapeutic development. Its global network fosters collaboration and capacity‑building, making it a cornerstone of modern Parkinson’s genetics. 

IGAP is a large‑scale consortium conducting genome‑wide association studies to identify genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Its multi‑stage analyses include tens of thousands of cases and controls, generating summary statistics for more than 11 million variants. 

IGAP’s findings have expanded the catalog of AD‑associated loci and clarified pathways involved in lipid metabolism, immune function, and endocytosis. These insights guide downstream functional studies and therapeutic target discovery across the Alzheimer’s research community. 

ADNI is a landmark longitudinal study that collects imaging, biomarker, genetic, and clinical data to track the progression of Alzheimer’s disease from normal aging through dementia. Its open‑access datasets support thousands of studies worldwide and have transformed biomarker development. 

By standardizing imaging protocols and validating biomarkers such as tau PET and plasma p‑tau217, ADNI provides essential infrastructure for clinical trials and early‑detection research. 

Project MinE is an international whole‑genome sequencing effort to uncover the genetic basis of ALS. With tens of thousands of genomes analyzed, the consortium has identified new risk loci, clarified disease mechanisms, and expanded the proportion of patients with identifiable genetic contributors. 

Its publicly accessible datasets and analytical tools support global ALS research, enabling gene discovery, burden testing, and mechanistic studies. VIB‑KU Leuven researchers contribute to both clinical and molecular aspects of ALS genomics.

LEUCALS unites all clinical and research groups involved in ALS research at KU Leuven and UZ Leuven, integrating genetics, imaging, biomarkers, stem‑cell modeling, and clinical trials. The center participates in large whole‑genome sequencing consortia and develops translational pipelines to accelerate biomarker discovery and therapeutic readiness. 

By fostering collaboration across laboratories and with patient organizations, LEUCALS strengthens Leuven’s position as a leading ALS research hub and enhances opportunities for multi‑center studies and clinical innovation.

The pTau217 biomarker consortium advances the development and validation of plasma p‑tau217 as a scalable, accurate diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies show that plasma p‑tau217 can detect AD pathology with high accuracy across clinical settings and may predict disease onset years in advance. 

This work supports the shift toward minimally invasive biomarkers for early detection, trial screening, and disease monitoring, aligning with global efforts to make AD diagnostics more accessible.

Flanders BioImaging is an interuniversity research infrastructure that integrates advanced microscopy and biomedical imaging facilities across Flanders. As the Belgian node of Euro‑BioImaging, it provides open access to cutting‑edge imaging technologies, training, and FAIR data management. 

FlaBI supports multimodal imaging from molecules to humans, enabling translational research in oncology, neuroscience, and beyond. Its coordinated infrastructure strengthens collaborations and accelerates imaging‑driven discovery.

Euro‑BioImaging is a pan‑European research infrastructure offering open access to more than 300 imaging facilities across 18 countries. It provides state‑of‑the‑art technologies, expert training, and data services spanning light microscopy, electron microscopy, and preclinical and clinical imaging. 

By standardizing workflows and promoting open science, Euro‑BioImaging empowers researchers to perform high‑quality imaging studies and supports innovation across the life sciences. Its distributed network enhances Europe’s capacity for cutting‑edge biomedical research. 

Mission Lucidity is an ambitious, long‑term partnership between VIB, KU Leuven, imec, and UZ Leuven that aims to transform our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases by uniting cutting‑edge neuroscience, engineering, and clinical expertise. The initiative brings together multidisciplinary teams to develop next‑generation technologies — from advanced imaging and organoid platforms to high‑throughput molecular profiling — that allow researchers to study Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias with unprecedented precision.

By integrating fundamental research with translational pipelines, Mission Lucidity accelerates the discovery of disease mechanisms and supports the development of early diagnostics and targeted therapies. Its collaborative model bridges the gap between laboratory innovation and patient care, positioning Leuven as a global hub for dementia research and technological innovation.

The Leuven Brain Institute (LBI) is a cross‑faculty research institute at KU Leuven that brings together more than 100 research groups working across the full spectrum of brain science — from molecular and cellular neuroscience to cognition, behavior, and clinical neurology. LBI fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, supports shared research infrastructure, and promotes the translation of fundamental discoveries into improved diagnostics and treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Researchers at the VIB‑KU Leuven Center for Neuroscience are deeply embedded in LBI’s mission, contributing expertise in neurodegeneration, systems neuroscience, and advanced imaging. Through joint programs, training initiatives, and collaborative platforms, LBI strengthens Leuven’s position as an international center of excellence in brain research and accelerates progress toward understanding the human brain in health and disease.

CureND is a collaborative initiative uniting leading Belgian research centers, including VIB and KU Leuven, to accelerate breakthroughs in neurodegenerative disease research. The program focuses on integrating genetic, molecular, and clinical data to uncover shared mechanisms across disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and frontotemporal dementia. By combining large‑scale data resources with advanced model systems and biomarker development, CureND aims to identify convergent pathways that can be targeted for therapeutic intervention.

The initiative also emphasizes collaboration with patient organizations, industry partners, and international consortia to ensure that discoveries move efficiently from the lab to the clinic. Through its coordinated, cross‑disease approach, CureND strengthens Belgium’s role in global neurodegeneration research and supports the development of innovative diagnostics and treatments that benefit patients worldwide.