Martien J.H. Kas (born 27 November 1966, Uithoorn) is associate professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, at the University Medical Center Utrecht, where he leads a work group entitled "Translational Behavioral Genetics" that researches cross-species behavioral genetics to better understand origins and develop treatments for psychiatric disorders.

He is president of the Dutch Behavioural Genetics Association,^{[citation needed]} board member and treasurer of the Dutch Neuroscience meeting and the Dutch Neurofederation, and executive committee member of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.^[1]

Kas received his B.A. in medical microbiology from the Leidse Hoge School, a M.Sc. in biology, with specialization in neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and ethology from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from Stanford University and the University of Groningen. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University Medical Center Utrecht and was a visiting scientist at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry (London).^[1]

By applying interspecies genetic analysis of neurobehavioral traits (in mice and humans), Kas' research aims to identify functional genotype–phenotype relationships relevant to the development and etiology-directed treatment of brain disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders.^[2]

Kas is president of the Dutch Behavioural Genetics Association, a member of the organizing committee of the International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society meeting,^{[citation needed]} member of the Steering Committee and treasurer of the Dutch Neuroscience meeting, board member and treasurer of the Dutch Neurofederation,^[1] and executive committee member and coordinator of the annual Young Scientists Workshop^{[citation needed]} of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.^[3]

Kas has received a Marie Curie Fellowship as principal investigator. He received a VIDI grant as principal investigator on a project studying interspecies genetics of neurobehavioral traits in mice and men. Most recently, he was co-awarded an Innovative Medicines Initiative project for Translational Endpoints in Autism (EU-AIMS).^[1]

Kas has published extensively, with numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters to his name.^{[citation needed]}