prof. dr. Indira Tendolkar

Over Indira Tendolkar

Personal Statement

Broadly trained as a neurologist, psychiatrist, and clinical neuroscientist, my work has been dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. My primary focus lies in exploring transdiagnostic markers of stress-related mental disorders and developing targeted non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, contributing significantly to the field. I am fortunate to have received substantial research support through various grants, enabling me to engage consistently with fundamental and clinical scientists across diverse disciplines. This collaborative effort facilitates the effective dissemination of knowledge into clinical practice. Recognizing my academic contributions, my peers have invited me to serve on scientific evaluation and grant committees nationally and internationally. In tandem, I actively participate in shaping the curriculum of medicine and biomedical sciences as a dedicated educator. My ongoing mission is to bridge the gap between cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychiatry. This commitment is evident in my role as a key contributor to establishing the Cognitive Neuroscience research master program at Radboud University, where I also served as a local and national director for the Dutch psychiatry residency program. Beyond academia, I have been instrumental in creating and implementing a training program for advanced nurse practitioners within the psychiatry department. My commitment to education extends to my role as an instructor at the National Academy for Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, as reflected in my text books. Acting as a connecting link between cognitive neuroscience initiatives and clinical care, I have served as a theme speaker and board member for the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, specifically focusing on neuroplasticity, memory, and stress-related disorders. In my capacity as the head of the psychiatry department, I leverage my academic experience to foster a culture and structure conducive to excellence in clinical work, education, and research on severe psychiatric disorders and their comorbidity. 

Contributions to Science

Early Career

After finishing my medical training and my doctorate (1995) at the interface of neurophysiology and ophthalmology as a young resident in neurology, I seized the opportunity to explore cognitive neuroscience using event-related potentials and nascent fMRI techniques focusing on the neural correlates of declarative memory. While prevailing studies exclusively probed memory encoding or retrieval, I pioneered a model unifying both operations into a singular process executed by the rhinal cortex. This realization led me to recognize the clinical relevance of my work lay more with psychiatric disorders than neurological ones. Nobel laureate Eric Kandel's assertion, "all functions of the mind are functions of the brain," reinforced this perspective, highlighting the biological basis of psychiatric disorders despite their complex nosology. This pivotal phase in my early career laid the foundation for a deeper exploration of biologically defined brain changes underlying psychiatric disorders. Embracing Kandel's perspective, my research trajectory shifted, aligning with his core belief. This groundwork established my commitment to advancing cognitive neuroscience's understanding and its implications for psychiatric care.

Fernández G, Tendolkar I. The rhinal cortex - 'gatekeeper' of the declarative memory system. Trends Cogn Sci 2006 10(8):358-62

Tendolkar I, Ruhrmann S, Brockhaus A, Prukrop R, Klosterkoetter J. Remembering or Knowing: Electrophysiological evidence for an episodic memory deficit in schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine 2002;32:1261-71

Tendolkar I, Rugg MD. Electrophysiological dissociation of recency and recognition memory. Neuropsychologia. 1998;36(6):477-90.

Fernández G, Weyerts H, Schrader-Bölsche M, Tendolkar I, Smid HG, Tempelmann C, Hinrichs H, Scheich H, Elger CE, Mangun GR, Heinze HJ. Successful verbal encoding into episodic memory engages the posterior hippocampus: a parametrically analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Neurosci. 1998;18(5):1841-7.

Mid-career

As a clinician-scientist, a significant portion of my focus was dedicated to exploring the cognitive and neural foundations of stress-related mental disorders. The overarching objective was to comprehend the pathophysiology with the ultimate goal of enabling mechanistic treatment. My foray into this domain began with the application of cognitive neuroimaging techniques to scrutinize episodic memory and its neural underpinnings in depression. This research not only unveiled state and trait-related changes in depression but also delved into plasticity alterations associated with treatment. Building on this foundation, my research trajectory evolved towards emotional memory, homing in on a pivotal construct of depression - negative memory bias. I systematically investigated the neural underpinnings of this bias and explored potential modifications. This nuanced exploration aimed to unravel key aspects of the pathophysiological landscape, laying the groundwork for more targeted and effective interventions. Throughout this mid-career phase, my efforts were driven by a steadfast commitment to advancing our understanding of stress-related mental disorders and translating that knowledge into tangible, mechanistic treatment options.

van Eijndhoven P, Van Oijen K, Van Wingen G, Rijpkema M, Oude Voshaar R, Buitelaar J, Fernandez G, Tendolkar I. Amygdala volume is state dependent in the early course of depression. Biol Psychiat 2009;65(9):812-8

Fitzgerald DA, Arnold JF, Becker ES, Speckens AE, Rinck M, Rijpkema M, Fernández G, Tendolkar I. How mood challenges emotional memory formation: an fMRI investigation. Neuroimage. 2011 Jun 1;56(3):1783-90.

Gerritsen L, Rijpkema M, van Oostrom I, Buitelaar J, Franke B, Fernández G, Tendolkar I. Amygdala to hippocampal volume ratio is associated with negative memory bias in healthy subjects. Psychol Med 2012;42(2):335-43

van Eijndhoven P, van Wingen G, Katzenbauer M, Groen W, Tepest R, Fernández G, Buitelaar J, Tendolkar I. Paralimbic cortical thickness in first-episode depression: evidence for trait-related differences in mood regulation. Am J Psychiatry 2013;170(12):1477-86

Kroes MC, Tendolkar I, van Wingen GA, van Waarde JA, Strange BA, Fernández G. An electroconvulsive therapy procedure impairs reconsolidation of episodic memories in humans. Nat Neurosci 2014;17(2):204-6

Senior Career

More recently, I advanced my research by integrating insights into neuromodulation techniques targeting memory bias and related processes. Notably, I explored the use of electroconvulsive therapy to modify the reconsolidation of traumatic experiences and leveraged new e-health techniques as adjunctive treatments for depression. This focused interdisciplinary approach, undertaken by my research team, garnered substantial international visibility and esteem. Recognized for these contributions, I was invited to join the editorial boards of leading journals, including Human Brain Mapping. Additionally, I assumed a pivotal role as the steering member of the prominent Electroconvulsive Therapies Imaging Consortium (GEMRIC), fostering collaborations with esteemed partners from Maastricht, Ghent, Magdeburg, and UCLA. My senior phase also involved a systematic exploration of genetic and neurocognitive domains underlying psychiatric comorbidity, further broadening the scope of my contributions to the field.

Soheili-Nezhad S, Sprooten E, Tendolkar I, Medici M. Exploring the Genetic Link Between Thyroid Dysfunction and Common Psychiatric Disorders: A Specific Hormonal, or a General Autoimmune Comorbidity. Thyroid. 2023;33(2):159-168.

Mulders PCR, Llera A, Beckmann CF, Vandenbulcke M, Stek M, Sienaert P, Redlich R, Petrides G, Oudega ML, Oltedal L, Oedegaard KJ, Narr KL, Magnusson PO, Kessler U, Jorgensen A, Espinoza R, Enneking V, Emsell L, Dols A, Dannlowski U, Bolwig TG, Bartsch H, Argyelan M, Anand A, Abbott CC, van Eijndhoven PFP, Tendolkar I. Structural changes induced by electroconvulsive therapy are associated with clinical outcome. Brain Stimul. 2020;13(3):696-704.

Bovy L, Berkers RMWJ, Pottkämper JCM, Varatheeswaran R, Fernández G, Tendolkar I, Dresler M. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Decreases Emotional Memory Schemas. Cereb Cortex. 2020;30(6):3608-3616. 

Nevenfuncties

• Member ZONMW VICI committee
• Member and since 2021 deputy chair of the clinical fellowship committee of the DBT India Alliance/Wellcome Trust, India
• Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Interdisciplinary Clinical Research Centre, University of Münster
• Deputy chair board of commsioners Mediant cre group EnschedeNL
• Adjunct professor at the medical faculty of the University of Essen-Duisburg