I am an Associate Professor of Evolutionary Psychobiology at the University of Amsterdam and a Senior Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law.
I study how people develop in harsh and unpredictable environments. My empirical work focuses on ‘hidden talents’, mental abilities enhanced by adversity, and ‘reasonable responses’, behavioral strategies tailored to adverse conditions.
I also use mathematical modeling to explore the evolution of plasticity, the ability of organisms to adjust to environmental conditions. I seek to better understand the adaptive value of sensitive periods, in which the impact of experience is relatively large.
Academic Positions
2023 – present
Associate Professor, Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2020 – present
Senior Researcher, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Freiburg, Germany
2020 – 2023
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
2018 – 2020
Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
2012 – 2017
Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology (tenure 2014), Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
2012
Postdoctoral Researcher, Cognitive Development Center, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
Selection of Academic Leadership
2022 – present
Director, Communicating and Expanding Research on Adversity (CERA) Network (with support from the Jacobs Foundation)
2016 – 2018
Co-director, Research Network on Adaptations to Childhood Stress (with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
Selection of Honors and Grants
2021
Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution, Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES)
2019 – 2024
Vidi Grant (Innovational Research Incentives Scheme), Dutch Research Council (NWO)
2019
Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions, Association for Psychological Science (APS)
2018 – 2020
Jacobs Foundation Early Career Research Fellowship
2017 – 2023
James S. McDonnell Foundation 2017 Scholar Award in Understanding Human Cognition (JSMF)
2017
Boyd McCandless Award, Division 7 (Developmental Psychology), American Psychological Association (APA)
2016
Rising Star Award, Association for Psychological Science (APS)
2016 – 2018
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant (RWJF)
2014 – 2018
Veni Grant (Innovational Research Incentives Scheme), Dutch Research Council (NWO)
2014
New Investigator Award, European Human Behaviour & Evolution Association (EHBEA)
2011 – 2012
UCLA Graduate Division Dissertation Year Fellowship
2006 – 2008
Huygens Scholarship, Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science
2006 – 2007
Fulbright Fellowship
2006 – 2007
VSB Foundation Scholarship
Education
2012
UCLA, Ph.D. Biological Anthropology
2006
University of Amsterdam, M.Sc. Psychology (cum laude)
2006
University of Amsterdam, M.A. Philosophy (cum laude)
2005
University of Amsterdam, B.Sc. Psychology (cum laude)