Specialization
Focus of research
Having always been fascinated by the human mind and behaviour, I did my PhD project “The ODD part of ADHD” in clinical neuropsychology (VU Amsterdam). With my strong interest in neurodevelopmental disorders, I focused on children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly those with an additional diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Given the synergistic, negative impact of these disorders on an individual’s life, family, and general society, the lack of knowledge in this area intrigued me, even more so since this subgroup faces significantly worse outcomes. With my multidisciplinary background I was able to study several important facets, including risk factors and neurocognitive functioning, using machine learning and multilevel approaches, and brain characteristics, using neuroimaging such as structural MRI and DTI.
After my cum laude defence, I continued my research in this field and have added the field of forensic neuropsychology. With regard to the latter, my research focuses in particular on acquired brain injury (ABI) in the forensic population. Topics include assessing ABI and its prevalence in the forensic population, and the possible consequences of ABI for forensic treatment and treatment outcome. An important goal is to make practitioners aware of the presence of ABI and therewith improve treatment outcomes in this challenging population. Methodological approaches used include assessments of neurocognitive functioning and imaging techniques to visualize the brain (structural MRI, DTI).