My research is embedded within the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour of Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. I am Principal Investigator in the Centre for Cognition and affiliated with the Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry in Venray. I am also affiliate researcher at Radboud University Medical Center (department of medical psychology and Radboudumc Alzheimer Center). Below are my main research topics.
Cognitive determinants of Alzheimer's disease, VCI and MCI
Studies on the underlying cognitive processes of ageing, dementia and MCI, relation between (working)memory, moderator variables and outcome measures, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Marcel Olde Rikkert and Dr. Jurgen Claassen, MD at the Radboudumc Alzheimer Centre. Also, I collaborate on projects with Dr. Frank-Erik de Leeuw of the department of neurology of Radboud University Medical Center on VCI in young and older adults, including RUNDMC, FUTURE and ODYSSEY. These studies integrate behavioural and cognitive measures with neuroimaging (structural and functional MRI, near-infrared spectroscopy)
Memory and amnesia
Studies focusing on memory deficits after brain damage, alcohol-related cognitive disorders, including Korsakoff's syndrome, spatial memory, confabulation and memory function in healthy individuals, in collaboration with the Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry in Venray.
Alcohol-related cognitive disorders
This research line focuses on the cognitive and behavioural consequences of problematic alcohol use, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). These consequenses vary from mild alcohol-related neurocognitive disorder to Korsakoff's syndrome, with a complex interplay between addicition-related factors and somatic and psychiatric comorbidity.
Neuropsychological rehabilitation
Studies focusing on cognitive rehabiliotion (e.g., errorless learning in Parkinson's disease, experience sampling using mobile apps, cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis), in collaboration with Dr. Dirk Bertens and Klimmendaal Rehabilitation Centre in Arnhem.
Neuropsychological assessment
Development and validation of new neuropsychological and experimental test procedures, mainly in the domain of human memory and learning (e.g. the Location Learning Test-Revised, the Dutch translation and validation of the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test - Third Edition and the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV, the Emotion Recognition Test). Here, I collaborate with Dr. Marc Hendriks and Pearson and Hogrefe Test Publishers, as well as Metrisquare.