People

Anne-Laura van Harmelen
Professor Brain, Safety and Resilience

Anne-Laura’s research aims to understand how we can increase resilience in young people with a history of adverse early-life experiences. Her work helps to inform prevention and intervention strategies aimed at reducing mental health and behavioral problems in at-risk young people. Anne-Laura has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Leiden University and is now Professor of Brain Safety and Resilience at Leiden University in the Institute of Education and Child Studies. Outside the lab, Anne-Laura is working hard to perfect her handstand skills.

Elizabeth Buimer
Assistant Professor

After obtaining her MSc degree in neurobiology, Elizabeth completed her PhD research at the Psychiatry Department at the University Medical Center Utrecht. During her PhD she investigated inter-individual differences in brain structure and function in 9-year-olds of the YOUth cohort study. As a postdoctoral researcher in Leiden, Elizabeth aims to further investigate how adverse and positive childhood experiences interact with brain development. Within the Social Resilience and Security program she will join the Thrive Study research team. Elizabeth is committed to making neuroscience more open and accessible for the scientific community and society at large.

Maximilian König
PhD Candidate

Maxi received his BSc in Psychology at Goethe University Frankfurt and his MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. Before moving to the Netherlands, Maxi worked at New York University and the University of Oxford to investigate the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying age-related changes in learning and decision-making. As part of the Social Safety and Resilience program, his PhD research focusses on understanding the social and neurobiological risk and resilience mechanisms through which adverse early-life experiences impact young peoples' psychosocial functioning. Outside the lab, Maxi enjoys engaging in science outreach, climbing, and exploring the beautiful city of Leiden by bike.

Outreach Team

Our outreach team BrainTrain coordinates the Youth Panel, develops podcasts and high-school workshops within the Social Resilience and Security Program. View the BrainTrain Instagram page or the outreach page on this website for an overview of our BrainTrain team members.

Alumni

Adrian Dahl Askelund, Former MPhil Student [Now: PhD Student in Oslo]
Oksana Berhe, Former Visiting PhD Student
Saphire Calista, Former Master Student
Nicole Creasy, Former Undergraduate Student [Now: PhD Student in Amsterdam]
Eugenia Davidson, Former Undergraduate Placement Student
Jessica Fritz, Former PhD Student [Now: Postdoctoral fellow in Cambridge]
Nadia Gonzalez Garcia, Former Visiting Researcher [Now: Medical Doctor in Mexico]
Alice Micale, Former Master Student
Sophia Orellana Aguirre, Former MPhil Student [Now: PhD Student in Cambridge]
Samantha Sallie, Former MPhil Student [Now: PhD Student in Cambridge]
Rosalie Schrofer, Former Master Placement Student
Katja Schueler, Former Visiting PhD Student
Alicia Smith, Former Research Assistant [Now: PhD Student in Cambridge]
Sophie Bellow, Former Research Coordinator
Sabine van der Laan, Former Collaborating PhD Student
Laura Moreno-Lopez, Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Maria Dauvermann, Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Zita de Snoo, Former Master Student [Now: Research Assistant at McMaster University]