Short CV

I received my bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Kansas in 2018. Afterwards, I continued my studies and obtained my master’s in health and social psychology from Maastricht University in 2020. In September 2020, I started my PhD in the Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit at Leiden University under the supervision of Prof. dr. Andrea Evers, Dr. Antoinette van Laarhoven, Prof. dr. Madelon Peters (Maastricht University), and Prof. dr. Johan Vlaeyen (Maastricht University).

Research

My PhD research is part of the Mind-Body Team of the New Science of Mental Disorders consortium funded by the Gravitation Grant. My research focuses on the interplay between expectancy learning and avoidance behavior in somatic symptoms such as pain, itch, and fatigue. I will try to assess whether expectancies can be used to reduce avoidance behavior, thus reducing the risk of symptom chronification, and evaluate the connectivity between mental health symptoms and physical symptoms.

Education

• Master of Science – Health and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, NL
• Bachelor of Arts – Psychology, The University of Kansas, USA