Understanding the human mind — in its brilliance, complexity, and vulnerability — has always been at the core of my scientific work. My research centers around the neuroscientific foundations of mental health and mental illness, with a particular focus on how changes in brain circuits give rise to altered or extreme experiences of the world.
I am especially fascinated by phenomena that stretch or challenge the boundaries of shared reality: perceptual distortions, hallucinations, unusual beliefs, and disrupted processing. These experiences, though often pathologized, offer profound insights into how the brain constructs meaning, interprets the environment, and maintains a coherent sense of self.
In my work, I seek to investigate the mechanisms through which subtle alterations at the neural level can shape individual perception, cognition, and emotion. I am interested not only in what „goes wrong“ in mental health disorders, but also in what these disruptions reveal about the normal operations of the mind and brain. Grounded in cognitive neuroscience, my approach is interdisciplinary — integrating neuroscience, behavioral science, clinical psychology, and computational theories such as predictive coding. I value both empirical rigor and conceptual depth, believing that good research requires careful methodology as well as thoughtful interpretation.
Ultimately, my research is guided by a simple but powerful question:
How does the brain create — and sometimes unmake — our experience of reality?
Through this lens, I hope to contribute to a deeper, more nuanced understanding of mental health, one that respects the complexity of individual experiences while striving for clarity, compassion, and scientific precision.
Current Projects
Basic Sensory Risk Markers of Schizophrenia in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
This project, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tim Ziermans (Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, University of Amsterdam) and Dr. Bob Oranje (Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Copenhagen University Hospital), systematically examines sensory processing anomalies that may be shared between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia.
The motivation for this study stems from evidence suggesting that individuals with ASD are at increased risk of developing schizophrenia or psychosis-related symptoms. We investigate sensory measures that have not only been implicated in schizophrenia itself but have also been identified in individuals at clinical or genetic high risk for psychosis. These measures include Prepulse Inhibition, the Startle response, Mismatch Negativity, P50 Suppression, N100 & P200 amplitude, and Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements. Our goal is to evaluate to what extent these basic sensory disruptions, often considered core neurobiological features of schizophrenia, also occur within the autistic spectrum. In doing so, we hope to shed light on potential shared mechanisms and contribute to a more dimensional, biologically-informed understanding of psychiatric conditions. The included measures are especially valuable in this context, as they reflect early-stage, pre-attentive auditory processing and may serve as transdiagnostic biomarkers for altered brain function.
This work continues my broader research interest in how disruptions to fundamental brain mechanisms manifest as clinical symptoms – and how cognitive neuroscience can contribute to a more integrated understanding of psychopathology.
Predictive Coding and Psychosis - The Role of Prior Beliefs in Auditory Perception
In collaboration with Dr. Guillermo Horga (Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute) and Dr. Kenneth Wengler (Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), I am involved in a project that investigates how individuals’ prior beliefs shape their auditory experiences – and how this process may relate to hallucinations and psychosis.
Drawing on predictive coding theory, we test the idea that hallucination-like phenomena arise when prior expectations are given too much weight relative to incoming sensory evidence. Our approach includes behavioral experiments and computational modeling, and is informed by previous work using functional imaging and clinical interviews. One of our aims is to better understand the psychosis continuum – from healthy individuals with hallucination-like experiences to people diagnosed with psychotic disorders.
This project brings together two of my central research passions: the study of perception and the study of altered states of consciousness. It also reflects my belief that psychosis should not be reduced to dysfunction, but understood as a variant of the mind’s fundamental capacity to make sense of the world.
Academic Background
My academic journey has been guided by a deep-rooted curiosity about the human mind and a persistent drive to understand complexity — not by simplifying it, but by engaging with it thoughtfully and precisely.
I completed my Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Twente (cum laude), where I first discovered my fascination with the cognitive and neural mechanisms that shape perception, belief, and behavior. It was there that I encountered cognitive neuroscience not just as a field of study, but as a conceptual framework — one that asks fundamental questions about how the brain creates experience.
Motivated by a desire to deepen and broaden my understanding, I pursued my Master of Science in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Amsterdam (cum laude), an interdisciplinary program that brought together neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and computational modeling. This environment nurtured a way of thinking that moves fluidly between levels of explanation — from synaptic mechanisms to conscious thought, from neural dynamics to social interaction.
During my studies, I built a strong foundation in experimental methodology, including EEG and (f)MRI techniques, behavioral paradigms, and statistical modeling. I became particularly interested in the ways in which subtle changes in brain function can manifest as profound changes in subjective experience. Alongside empirical work, I cultivated a deep respect for theoretical development and critical analysis — believing that data and theory must inform and challenge each other.
Throughout this time, I sought out experiences that allowed me to work at the intersection of research and clinical understanding. Collaborations with institutions like the Amsterdam UMC and Columbia University further shaped my perspective, giving me insight into both the empirical rigor and the human complexity that define the study of mental health.
Today, my academic foundation continues to inform all aspects of my work — providing the tools not just to investigate the brain, but to appreciate the mind it generates.
Past Research Experiences
- Clinical Neurophysiology & Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
At the Amsterdam UMC, I contributed to research on adaptive DBS in Parkinson’s disease. This involved exploring how real-time neural feedback can optimize stimulation strategies – a fascinating intersection of technology, neurology, and behavior. - Predictive Coding and Schizophrenia
I have been involved in research at Columbia University (Horga Lab) investigating how predictive mechanisms are altered in schizophrenia using (f)MRI, behavioral paradigms, and clinical data. This work deepened my interest in the brain as a generative system – and in how the breakdown of such systems might produce symptoms. - Literature Reviews & Meta-Analyses
I take great joy in making sense of complexity. Whether synthesizing large bodies of literature or performing meta-analytic statistics, I enjoy the intellectual clarity that comes from organizing knowledge across studies and disciplines.