Profile

Since 2013, Ilse Schuitema works as a lecturer in Neuropsychology at the department of Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology of Leiden University. 

She obtained her PhD in 2017, from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Fac. of Medicine, on a study on long-term effects of treatment for childhood leukemia. The title of her dissertation was “Long‐Term Neurocognitive Effects of Treatment for Pediatric Lymphoid Malignancies”. She used DTI to study white matter quality in the brain, MEG to study brain oscillations, the ANT program to study executive functioning, and questionnaires to assess quality of life. Results of this study were published in international journals and presented at conferences in the United States, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. 

Before that, she graduated cum laude in Clinical Neuropsychology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her master’s thesis was written at the VU University Medical Center on cognitive effects of meningitis. This thesis won an award of the Dutch Society for Neuropsychology (NVN). 

Research

Her research interests concern neurocognitive ageing and health factors and behavioral factors that could influence this process. Her previous studies suggested that cranial radiation used in the treatment of leukemia causes accelerated ageing of the brain. Ilse now wants to study other factors that could either accelerate or attenuate the ageing process.

Teaching

• Thesis Coordination 
• Thesis supervision 
• Supervision of research internships 
• Perspective on Carreer Planning 
• Mentoring 
• Workshops on executive function

Publications