The Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing (NCHA) is an alliance between the Leiden University Medical Centre and the Erasmus Medical Centre as the founding partners, and recently the Wageningen University, the Groningen University Medical Centre, the VU University and the Academic Medical Center of Amsterdam.  Together with the private partners Unilever, Philips, Galápagos, McRoberts, and recently Pfizer and DSM. NCHA is supported by the Netherlands Genomics Initiative.
Our Objective
Our life expectancy is steadily rising. Unfortunately, old age is accompanied by a growing vulnerability to disease. Experimental evidence shows that the undesirable effects of ageing are far more amenable for intervention than is generally assumed. NCHA seeks a thorough understanding of the (healthy) ageing process and of age-related diseases. It studies interventions that may be applied to protect and preserve health: new ways for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and self-management regarding age-related disease.

Our mission and vision
In the NCHA vision the public health at older ages can and should be improved. Healthy ageing research should primarily address the question: what factors keep people healthy up to a high age? What can we learn from their genetic and metabolic constitution, their life style and the interaction with environmental factors like food, exercise, sleep and their socio-economic status? In addition, prevention of unhealthy ageing should be served by a better understanding of the factors underlying the onset of unhealthy ageing and disease. 
NCHA aims to use this knowledge in an integrated way to improve the health of those who are the less fortunate agers, by better prevention, care and cure.

Our strategy

How does NCHA implement this vision in its approach? By making a clever use of its rich network of human cohort studies, its unique position in the centre of the triangle Biology, Biobanks and Bedside (the three B's), and of the most novel technologies. And by continuous investing in public-private partnerships. (read more)

NCHA research focuses on the principle drivers that allow people to successfully reach longevity in good health. We put older people central and follow an integrated approach instead of the traditional strategies to cope with various diseases separately or to study ageing in model systems.


Who is who  l  more about our experts

Management team:           
André Uitterlinden (scientific director)
Eline Slagboom (scientific director)
Annette de Deugd-van Kalkeren (managing director)


Valorisation team:
Frans van der Ouderaa, director
Nicky Vogels
Bern van Buuren

Investigators: 
Research line Longevity 
Erik van den Akker, Marian Beekman, Karel Beenakker, Linda Broer, Sija Chen, Ton de Craen, Joris Deelen, Nese Direk, Cornelia van Duijn, Edith Feskens, Lisette de Groot, Merel Hamer, Hester Happé, Leendert 't Hart, Diana van Heemst, Bas Heijmans, Jeanine Houwing, Léonie Jabobs, Manfred Kayser, Maris Kuningas, Andrea Maier, Willem van Mechelen, Ingrid Meulenbelt, Simon Mooijaart, Gerjan Navis, Tamar Nijsten, Willemijn Passtoors, Marjolein Peters, Yotam Raz, Ondine van de Rest, Eline Slagboom, Harold Snieder, Lisette Stolk, Ronald Stolk, Henning Tiemeier, Hae-Won Uh, André Uitterlinden, Evert Verhagen, Jana van Vliet-Ostaptchouk, Mariëtte Waaijer, Rudi Westendorp, Cisca Wijmenga, Carolien Wijsman, Bruce Wolffenbuttel, Kai Ye, Yanju Zhang, Carola Zillikens. 

Research line Cardiovascular Function
Erik van den Akker, Marian Beekman, Ton de Craen, Abbas Dehghan, Suzanne van Dijk, Janine Felix, Oscar Franco, Pim van der Harst, Bas Heijmans, Bert Hofman, Leendert 't Hart, Vincent Jaddoe, Wouter Jukema, Maryam Kavousi, Toke de Keyser, Bouwe Krijthe, Iris Postmus, Eline Slagboom, Bruno Stricker, Stella Trompet, André Uitterlinden. Anika Vaarhorst, Nathalie van der Velde, Rudi Westendorp,  Bruce Wolffenbuttel.

Research line Cognitive Function
Irmhild Altmann-Schneider, Renée de Bruijn, Mark van Buchem, Dorret Boomsma, Ton de Craen, Cornelia van Duijn, Eco de Geus, Pim van Gool, Jeroen van der Grond, Bert Hofman, Carla Ibrahim-Verbaas, Arfan Ikram, Kees-Jan Kan, Andrea Maier, Simon Mooijaart, Eline Slagboom, Marjon Stijntjes, Suzanne Swagerman, Henning Tiemeier, Stella Trompet, André Uitterlinden, Ben Verhaaren, Meike Vernooij, Andrew Webb, Rudi Westendorp, Lisette Wijsman.

Research line Locomotor Function
Karel Beenakker, Steffan Bos, Martha Castaño Betancourt, Rosalie Dhonukse-Rutten, Anke Enneman, Karol Estrada, Lisette de Groot, Annelies Ham, Marjolein de Kruif, Andrea Maier, Carolina Medina Gomez, Ingrid Meulenbelt, Joyce van Meurs, Ling Oei, Jantsje Pasma, Marjolein Peters, Fernando Rivadeneira, Eline Slagboom, Lisette Stolk, André Uitterlinden, Nathalie van der Velde, Carola Zillikens.