Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
As an Associate Professor at the department of Clinical Child and Family Studies at VU University Amsterdam, I am deeply committed to advancing research on youth risk behavior in interaction with the social context. My work spans both substance-related addictions and behavioral addictions, such as problematic social media use and healthy screen use. My research focuses on parenting and prevention strategies for adolescent substance use and online behavior challenges. I have led multiple randomized controlled trials, including the first in the Netherlands to evaluate a combined parent and student intervention. Currently, I am Principal Investigator for the evaluation of a community-based intervention aimed at reducing substance use and improving mental health outcomes across Dutch municipalities (Opgroeien in een Kansrijke Omgeving). I am passionate about bridging the gap between science and practice. Translating research into actionable insights is central to my mission, and I actively collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that evidence-based interventions are implemented and evaluated effectively. A recent example is the publication of the Guideline Healthy Screen Use in June 2025, which provides practical recommendations for families, educators, and professionals to foster balanced digital habits among youth. Beyond academia, I engage with communities through ancillary roles, including my work with RINO Utrecht and Edam-Volendam Vitaal, reflecting my commitment to societal impact. I strive to disseminate knowledge in the most comprehensive and accessible way possible—empowering families, educators, and policymakers to foster healthier environments for young people.
At the VU I will continue my research, yet widen the age span by also including younger children as the role of parents in the development of youth obviously starts at birth. With this new perspective, my line of research evolves around the (early) use of alcohol and (problematic) use of digital media. When doing so, I always keep an eye for the contribution to intervention development/refinement to enable optimal development among youth. Not only parents, also the wider environment largely influences individuals' decisions. One example of such an environmental intervention is 'Opgroeien in een Kansrijke Omgeving' which we will be investigating the following years in the Netherlands.
My research is on adolescents' (early) alcohol use and (problematic) online behaviors with a particular interest in the role of parents in the development of these behaviors. My aim is to do research that informs us about the development/refinement of interventions to enable an optimal development among youth. The development, evaluation and implementation of interventions in practice also is a focus in my work.
Teaching several courses in the bachelor’s and master’s programme.
Guiding second-year bachelor students in executing a fictive research project.