Andrea Evers

Professor of Health Psychology

Name: Prof.dr. A.W.M. Evers
Telephone: +31 71 527 6891
E-mail: a.evers@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0090-5091

It is with deep sorrow that our dear colleague Andrea Evers passed away on Monday, 4 August 2025. Andrea Evers (website: andreaevers.nl) was Professor of Health Psychology at the Institute of Psychology. Her research focuses on psychoneurobiological factors, such as stress and expectations, in health and disease. She was connected to Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University in Rotterdam as Medical Delta professor, in which she is committed to researching the theme 'Healthy Society'.

More information about Andrea Evers

News

Media

Andrea Evers in top 100 most influential people in healthcare and the most cited social scientists

LHSC Leiden Healthy Society Center

Leiden Psychology blog

It is with deep sorrow that our dear colleague Andrea Evers passed away on Monday, 4 August 2025.

Andrea Evers (website: andreaevers.nl) was Professor of Health Psychology and Scientific Director at the Institute of Psychology. Her research focused on psychoneurobiological factors, such as stress and expectations, in health and disease. She was connected to Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University in Rotterdam as Medical Delta professor, in which she was committed to researching the theme 'Healthy Society'.

Short CV

She obtained her doctorate in 2003 at Radboud University (cum laude). In 2011 she was appointed as professor of Health Psychology of somatic deseases at Radboud University and in 2013 she became professor of Health Psychology at Leiden University. In 2019 she was appointed as Medical Delta professor. For the Leiden-Delft-Rotterdam alliance, she is co-leader of the program Healthy Society.

She has received several prestigious research grants from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (eg Veni 2004, Vidi 2008, Vici 2017), the European Research Council (eg ERC Consolidator Grant 2013), and the NWO Stevin prize in 2019, the highest Dutch award for research with societal impact. She was co-chair of the national consortium Physical Activity and Sport of the Heart Foundation and acted as a member of the scientific advisory boards of different health associations (e.g. ReumaNL Diabetesfonds, Nierstichting, Brandwondenstichting). She is a clinical psychologist (BIG) and a cognitive behavioral therapist (VCGT).

She was a member of the KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and the KHMW (Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities). From June 1, 2021, she was a member of the Supervisory Board of VU University Amsterdam. Since January 1, 2024 Andrea Evers has joined the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) as a councilor.

Press photo 1(72DPI) by Ineke van Kester
Press photo 2(300DPI) by Werry Crone
Press photo 3(300DPI) by Yoshua Rood

Research

Evers had a specific interest in the psychoneurobiology of somatic complaints (e.g., pain and itch) and conditions (e.g., chronic inflammatory conditions), with particular emphasis on placebo effects, stress mechanisms, and treatments.

Andrea Evers' research group conducts both fundamental research on the psychoneurobiology of placebo and stress mechanisms and translational research on screening and self-management or cognitive-behavioural interventions for healthy populations and chronic somatic conditions.

Important research questions were: How does stress affect chronic somatic symptoms and conditions? How can we optimally use placebo effects in health care? Can we train immune and endocrine systems by psychological means? How can we optimise interventions for patients with chronic somatic complaints or conditions? Answering these questions will eventually lead to increased insight in the psychoneurobiology of health and chronic somatic conditions and the optimisation of screening and interventions in health care for patients with chronic somatic complaints and conditions.

Grants

Andrea Evers has received various grants for her research from, among others, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO grants: VENI, VIDI and VICI), ZonMW, various health funds (including Hartstichting, Nierstichting, Diabetesfonds, ReumaNederland), the European Research Council (ERC Proof of Concept grant & ERC consolidator grant), Gravitation grant (grant NWO, Andrea Evers is one of the 5 wp leaders) and the Stevin Prize (2019, grant NWO).

Therapist training and certificates (selection)

Registration supervisor cognitive-behaviour therapy (2009, 2014, 2019) and cognitive-behaviour therapist (2004)
Registration clinical psychologist (BIG) (2006, 2011, 2016, 2021)

Key grants and prizes (selection)

Councilor of the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR).
Stevin Prize (2019), research grant 2.500.000 Euro for researchers who have achieved an exceptional success in the area of knowledge exchange and impact for society, NWO Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.
The power of expectations. VICI Grant 2017, NWO Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, ca.1.500.000 Euro (grant applicant).
Empowering expectations for health and disease: Development of a pioneering training tool. ERC Proof of Concept Grant 2015, 2016-2018, ca. 150.000 Euro (grant applicant).
We all benefit: The ecosystem for healthy living. Hartstichting - ZonMW, 2017-2021, 2.499.426 Euro (projectleader).
Empowering expectations for health and disease: Training of the immune and endocrine system. ERC Consolidator Grant 2013, 2014-2019, ca. 2.000.000 Euro (grant applicant).
Unraveling the placebo effect: The power of expectancies for conditioning the immune and endocrine system. NWO-Vidi grant for high potentials, Innovational Research Incentives scheme VIDI grant, NWO Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research 2010-2015, 800.000 euro (grant applicant).
NWO Aspasia grant, NWO Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research 2010-2015 (grant applicant).
Psychophysiological stress mechanisms in chronic inflammatory diseases. NWO-Veni grant for high potentials, Innovational Research Incentives scheme VENI grant, NWO Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, 2004-2007, 200.000 Euro (grant applicant).
Prof. Dr. Pieter Boeke Prijs award for the best research contribution in the area of psychotherapy 2003, Postgraduate Education College for Psychotherapy 2004 (Stichting Post Academiale Opleiding Psychotherapieën, PAO-P, 2004).
Prof. Dr. Goslingsprijs award for the best Ph.D. thesis in rheumatology 2002-2003. Dutch College of Rheumatology, 2003 (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Reumatologie, 2003).

National scientific memberships and advisory boards (selection)

Member of the KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) (since 2019)
Member of the KHMW (Royal Dutch Society of Sciences)
Board member of SIPS (Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies)
Advisory Board Member of ESDAP (European Society for Dermatology and Psychiatry)
Chair Board of PGMP (Platform for Health and Medical Psychology)
Member of the Societal Impact Team for Covid and other pandemics (Maatschappelijk Impact Team; MIT)

Research schools and institutes (selection)

Experimental Psychopathology (EPP) (associate senior member 2003 – 2013, senior member since 2013)
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (since 2014)

Links

Personal website Andrea Evers
Selected media coverage Andrea Evers (Video & Audio)
Taking care of your health - Theme: Influencing your health with your behaviour and thoughts

Professor of Health Psychology

Social & Behavioural Sciences
Psychology
Health, Medical & Neuropsychology

Work address

FSW building
Wassenaarseweg 52
2333 AK Leiden
Room number 2A05A

Contact

Publications

Activities

No relevant ancillary activities