At Brainclinics Foundation, we believe that science should not just explain the brain — it should transform lives. Founded in 2001 by Dr. Martijn Arns, Brainclinics has grown into an independent, non-profit research institute at the forefront of applied neuroscience and interventional psychiatry. Our mission is simple yet urgent: to bring better treatments to patients today — not in ten years.
Over the past two decades, we have pioneered breakthroughs that bridge research and clinical practice. From being among the first to apply neurofeedback and brain-computer interfaces in ADHD and insomnia, to advancing rTMS for depression and OCD, and uncovering the role of the circadian clock and sleep in mental health, especially ADHD, our work consistently turns science into solutions. Importantly, our research has been instrumental in securing reimbursement for TMS by healthcare insurers in the Netherlands, and even led to the first reimbursed biomarkers for TMS treatment— concrete steps that ensure patients benefit directly from innovation.
Our expertise spans cutting-edge fields such as:
- Brain stimulation (rTMS, TMS-induced Heart-Brain Coupling)
- Neurofeedback & Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI)
- Psychedelics as novel interventions
- EEG-based biomarkers for precision psychiatryand stratified psychiatry
Independence is our foundation. As a non-profit, we are free from commercial or institutional bias, ensuring that our research always serves patients first. Still, we collaborate widely — publishing over 200 scientific papers and working with leading institutions including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, Sydney, and Radboud University.
Our commitment to applied neuroscience has also sparked successful spin-offs such as:
- Brainquiry (2002): The world’s first Bluetooth-based EEG system and smartwatch (years before the Apple Watch)
- Neurocare Group (2015): Global network of clinics specialized in TMS and neurofeedback
- Neurocademy (2015): International training and certification in neuromodulation
- Brainmarker Platform (2023): An EEG-based platform for treatment stratification in depression and ADHD
Through open-access resources like our TDBRAIN archive (housing 1200+ EEGs with rich phenotype data), books, PhD theses, and media, and through donating EEG and TMS equipment along with training professionals in underserved areas we share our knowledge to accelerate progress worldwide.
Currently, we are also working on an exciting new initiative still in stealth mode. As this develops, we will be expanding our team and network, stay tuned: more is coming soon.
At Brainclinics Foundation, we remain guided by our core philosophy:
Applied Neuroscience — from the clinic, to the clinic.
Dr. Martijn Arns
Dr. Martijn Arns
Director & researcher
Martijn Arns is biological-psychologist and entrepreneur with a strong background in applied neuroscience, brain stimulation and medtech. Martijn is founder and director at Brainclinics Foundation and is a visiting scholar at Stanford University (Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab & Psychedelics and Consciousness Lab).
In 2001, Martijn founded Research Institute Brainclinics, which has since become a vital part of the non-profit Brainclinics Foundation. The Brainclinics Foundation’s primary mission is best summarized as: Applied Neuroscience from the clinic, to the clinic and focuses on interventional psychiatry and applied neuroscience where research outcomes should be easily translatable into clinical practice and clinically actionable. Martijn's expertise extends to the development and application of brain stimulation techniques, such as rTMS for depression and OCD, TMS induced Heart-Brain Coupling, Psychedelics as a novel intervention and EEG based precision psychiatry and stratified psychiatry.
Martijn's leadership is evident in his role as a supervisor for various researchers and the publication of over 190 scientific papers and four patents. Throughout his career, he has successfully established several spin-off ventures from Brainclinics. These include Brainquiry (founded in 2002), which introduced the first Bluetooth-based EEG system and a smartwatch, neurocare group (established in 2015), an international innovative mental health clinic, neurocademy (launched in 2015), a training platform for certification in neuromodulation treatments (TMS and neurofeedback), and in 2023 spun-out the Brainmarker platform, an EEG based platform used for treatment stratification. In 2007 he was awarded the FD Gazellen award for fastest growing company.
Martijn's contributions to the scientific community extend beyond his research and spin-offs. He has served as an (associate) editor for various scientific journals and books. Moreover, he has organized numerous international conferences and served on the boards of several (inter)national professional non-profit organizations. As scientific advisor, he has lent his expertise to several medtech and AI start-ups as well as established companies, contributing to advancements and implementation in the field.
Nicole van Merode, MSc
Nicole van Merode, MSc
Operations Manager
Nicole graduated in Information Management at the University of Tilburg in 1997. From that time she worked in the IT sector as a project manager and ERP business consultant in several European companies & countries. After 10 years she was ready for something new where people would be much more central and ended up at the Brainclinics Research Institute.
She has been working at Brainclinics in Nijmegen since January 2006 as Operations Manager and is the 'silent' force in the background. In practice she guides the background issues in the right direction so that our researchers can focus as much as possible on their field.