The research topics which have been studied under the supervision of Prof Jolles, are related to cognitive development and ageing in the spectrum from ‘successful’ to ‘normal’ and ‘pathological’ development. Accordingly, the research is performed in healthy subjects as well as in subjects with neuropsychiatric disease. Since the start of the research programme in 1986, 58 PhD students have finished their thesis under his supervision. There are 15 students who are presently working on a PhD project. The research has yielded well over 400 scientific papers in international journals with impact factor. The papers have been published in medium to high ranking journals in a multidisciplinary domain. Most notable are papers in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology (e.g. Neuroimage, Neuropsychology, Neuropsychologia, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society/JINS), clinical neuroscience (e.g. Annals of Neurology), general medicine (e.g. Lancet, JAMA), psychiatry/clinical psychology (e.g. Archives of General Psychiatry, Psychological Medicine, J.American Academy of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry/JAACAP), gerontology/geriatrics (e.g. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society/JAGS, Psychology & Aging, J.Gerontology), biomedical neuroscience (e.g. J.Neurochemistry) and general science (eg Nature).
The research programme has been organised in three research lines. The majority of research topics studied since Jolles has defended his own thesis (1980) has to do with the theme ‘Brain and learning’. Jolles has published a report for the Dutch Science Council/NWO and the ministry of Education, Culture and Science on this topic (for further information, see www.hersenenenleren.nl, Jolles 2005, 2006).The research questions transcend the borders of these research domains and are all related to one or more of the following topics: learning and memory functioning in normal development/ normal aging or in conditions in which learning/memory has been compromised. Relevant topics are: ‘neurocognitive performance’, ‘working memory/attentional processes/executive functioning’, ‘learning and promotion of learning’, ‘brain imaging (functional, structural)’, ‘prefrontal mechanisms’, ‘inhibition’, ‘drugs, nutritional factors and neurotransmitter mechanisms’, and ‘risk/protective factors’.
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