Bernet Elzinga and her group conduct research into the influence of trauma and stress on affective, social and cognitive functions in the context of stress-related disorders, including depression and anxiety. Intergenerational research has her special interest, especially the communication between parents and children and factors that can contribute to reducing the negative consequences of trauma or stress.

More information about Bernet Elzinga

News

• 
  22 May 2025 Update #iamapsychologist: Why Psychology and the international bachelor's programme are essential
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  13 March 2025 What if you lose a parent at a young age? ‘Grief lasts a lifetime’
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  22 January 2025 As a parent, you have a big influence on your child’s anxiety (though there’s no need to worry about it)
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  14 November 2024 Psychology Connected on the role of our biological clock in depression
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  21 June 2024 Spinoza Prize for Professor Bernet Elzinga
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  29 May 2024 The new self-evaluation of the Institute of Psychology: ‘The quality of the academic culture is more important’
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  07 September 2023 Depressed teens appear to be extra sensitive to parental criticism
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  31 October 2022 Parents are too hard on themselves: teens more positive about their parenting
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  19 April 2022 Parental criticism hurts: a glimpse inside the adolescent brain
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  28 April 2021 Seven Leiden professors elected new members of KNAW
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  11 March 2021 How do parents’ brains react to feedback about their child?
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  16 November 2020 Emotional abuse strongly related to post-traumatic stress
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  16 September 2019 Gravitation grant for team captains Bernet Elzinga and Andrea Evers
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  08 February 2018 Here’s to the next 443 years as a bastion of freedom
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  04 April 2016 Impact of triggers on bipolar disorder less than expected
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  15 February 2016 Vici grant for Bernet Elzinga
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  12 February 2016 Vici grants for 7 Leiden researchers
• 03 May 2011 Personal chair in ‘Stress-related psychopathology’ for Bernet Elzinga

Bernet Elzinga blogs

• Follow on New Science of Mental Disorders (NSMD) - Nothing wrong with Freud

Bernet Elzinga and her group conduct research into the influence of trauma and stress on affective, social and cognitive functions in the context of stress-related disorders, including depression and anxiety. Intergenerational research has her special interest, especially the communication between parents and children and factors that can contribute to reducing the negative consequences of trauma or stress. 

With her interdisciplinary research she integrates epidemiological research, neuroimaging, behavioral observations and reports of behavior and feelings in daily life (using electronic diaries). She is also involved in the development of interventions for parents of young people with depressive symptoms.

She has received various grants for her research, including VENI, VIDI, VICI and she contributes as a PI to the Gravitation program New Science of Mental Disorders (NSMD). In addition to her research, she regularly gives lectures, teaches bachelor and master Psychology students, and is involved in various trajectories related to leadership development.

Academic Career

• Section Chair Clinical Psychology, Leiden University (2022 - present)
• Full professor ‘Stress-related Psychopathology’, Clinical Psychology, Leiden University (2011- present)
• Associate professor (UHD), Clinical Psychology, Leiden University (2008 - 2011)
• Assistant professor (UD), Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology, Leiden University (2002- 2007)
• PhD (cum laude). Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Department of Psychiatry, Free University (VU). Title: Searching for amnesia. Cognitive and neurobiological studies on trauma-related memory (2002)
• Researcher at ‘Yale Trauma Research Program’, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA (2002)
• MA Philosophy (cum laude), University of Amsterdam (2002)
• Postdoctoral training for Cognitive Behavior Therapist (BIG registration Psychotherapist 2004, GZ-psychologist 2004 with re-registration in 2023)
• MA Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychology (cum laude), University of Amsterdam (1996)

Academic Awards

• The NWO Spinoza Prize (2024)
• Elected member Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW, 2022)
• Elected Member Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (KHMW, Royal Society of Sciences (2017)
• NWO-VICI laureate (Grant for outstanding senior researchers who have shown to have the ability to successfully develop their own innovative lines of research and act as coaches for young researchers). Title: ‘Unravelling the Impact of Emotional Maltreatment on the Developing Brain’ (2016)
• NWO-VIDI laureate (Grant for outstanding young researchers who are among the top 10-20% of their peer group). Title: Genetic vulnerability factors mediating the effects of childhood abuse on brain structures and functions (2008)
• Elected Fellow ‘The Young Academy’ (DJA) of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW, 2006)
• NWO-VENI laureate (Grant for outstanding young researchers who are among the top 10-20% of their peer group). Title: ‘The role of prefrontal inhibition on persistent trauma-related fear in PTSD’ (2003)

Main Research Interests

The main focus of my research is how early life stress can chronically shape emotional, physiological and brain responses and social behavior, therewith increasing the sensitivity to stress-related disorders (depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder) in adulthood. My work is strongly interdisciplinary in nature. I integrate knowledge from social neuroscience, stress physiology, and experimental psychopathology and combine this with an epidemiological approach. This enables me to disentangle the impact of various forms of maltreatment on adult depression and anxiety and their associations with alterations in the brain.

To further elucidate the processes underlying maladaptive family interactions, I recently focus on family studies. Within the “Leiden Family Lab’ we have conducted a large 3-generation study on the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment, including observations of parent-child interactions and neuroimaging. My lab’s ongoing work (the RE-PAIR study) predominantly focuses on the role of parent-child interactions in the development, maintenance and treatment of depression in adolescence. Here, we also apply a multi-method approach, integrating observations on parent-child interactions in the lab and in daily life, using electronic diaries, with ecologically valid fMRI tasks that mimic parent-child interactions. With the recently acquired Gravitation project ‘The New Science of Mental Health’, we aim to develop new statistical models to analyze how individual networks of symptoms and behaviors interact and develop new personalized interventions to change maladaptive interactions.

Dissertations (PhD projects)

• Marjolein Vandenbosch (ongoing). Communicating Networks in high conflict divorce. (Gravitation grant). Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. L. Waldorp (UvA)
• Kyra Verboon (ongoing). The impact of parenting behaviors on trauma-related symptoms before and during trauma-focused treatment for children (Gravitation grant). Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. P. Muris (UM), dr. Kullberg.
• Myrthe Veenman (ongoing). Communicating Networks in adolescent depression (Gravitation grant). Prom./coprom: Prof.dr. B.M. Elzinga, dr. E. Fried.
• Carline van Heijningen (ongoing). Resilience after experiencing childhood parental loss (LUF grant). Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. L.R.A. Alink, Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, dr. S.R. van Berkel
• Mona Shahab (ongoing), The impact and treatment of the consequences of trauma exposure among young refugees. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, dr. D. Mook, Prof. dr. F.R. Rosendaal.
• Wilma Wentholt (ongoing). Parent-child interactions in the context of adolescent depression (VICI project). Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. L. Alink
• Cosima Nimphy (2024). BAT: Breaking the Transmission of Anxiety in the Family. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. W. van der Does, dr. E. Aktar.
• Mirjam Wever (2024). Elucidating the neural correlates involved in parental Emotional Maltreatment (VICI project). Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, dr. M. Tollenaar, Dr. G.J. van Will.
• Lisanne van Houtum (2023). Unravelling the Impact of Emotional Maltreatment on the Developing Brain (VICI project). Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, dr. M. Tollenaar, Dr. G.J. van Will.
• Loes Janssen (2022). Unravelling the Impact of Emotional Maltreatment in the context of adolescent depression (VICI project). Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, dr. B. Verkuil.
• Marie-Louise Kullberg (2022). Aggregation of parental abuse and neglect among siblings and long-term associations with depression. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Dr. C.C. van Schie.
• Lisa van den Berg (2021). The neural processes involved in the intergenerational transmission of childhood abuse. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. M. Bakermans-Kranenburg, Dr. M. Tollenaar.
• Charlotte van Schie (2019). State self-esteem in borderline personality disorder. Prom./coprom.: Prof.dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof.dr. W.J. Heiser, Prof.dr. S.A.R.B. Rombouts.
• Annegret Krause (2017). Emotional distraction and working memory in Borderline Personality Disorder. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. Ph. Spinhoven, Prof. dr. C.S. Schmahl.
• Steven van der Werff (2017). Resilience and vulnerability to stress. Prom./coprom: Prof. Dr. N. van der Wee, Prof. dr. F. Zitman, Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga.
• Laura Compier-de Block (2017). Child Maltreatment: Underlying Risk Factors and Perspectives of Parents and Children. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. M. Bakermans-Kranenburg, Prof. dr. L. Alink, Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga.
• Manja Koenders (2016). Effects of stressful life events, social support and cognitive functioning on longitudinally assessed mood in patients with bipolar disorder. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. Ph. Spinhoven, dr. A.T. Spijker, dr. E.J. Giltay.
• Marc Molendijk (2014, Cum Laude). The role of BDNF in anxiety and depression. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. Ph. Spinhoven, Prof. dr. B. Penninx.
• Anne-Laura van Harmelen (2013). The impact of stressful life events on brain structures and functions related to memory performance. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. Ph. Spinhoven, Prof. dr. B. Penninx.
• Nicole Oei (2010). Memory function after stress: the effects of acute stress and cortisol on memory and the inhibition of emotional distraction. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. Ph. Spinhoven.
• Marieke Tollenaar (2009). Fading memories. The impact of stress hormones on the retrieval of emotional memories. Prom./coprom: Prof. dr. B.M. Elzinga, Prof. dr. Ph. Spinhoven, Prof. dr. W.T.A.M. Everaerd.

Research Support 

Teaching

• Teacher master course  Trauma and Mental Health, section Clincial Psychology
• Teacher ‘Mental Health and Illness, Leiden University College (LUC).
• Initiator and coordinator interdisciplinary minor ‘Childhood abuse and neglect across the life span’ (yearly >100 students & 350 students in elective course ‘Psychological & neurobiological consequences of childhood abuse’)
• Coordinator and lecturer bachelor course ‘Personality, Clinical, and Health Psychology’ 
• Thesis supervisor and research internships Master students, Clinical Psychology

Clinical registrations

• GZ psychologist (BIG register # 79057185125, registered 2004, renewal 2016)
• Psychotherapist (BIG register # 99057185116, registered 2002)

Management / Ancilliary activities

• Chair, Section Clinical Psychology, Leiden University (2022- present)
• Member of Program Committee (2016-2021) and Facilitator Natural Leadership Program (4-month program incl. wilderness trails: South-Africa 2016; Botswana 2015; 2018; Spain, 2018)
• Chair Committee Ethics of Psychology (CEP), Leiden University (2014-2020)
• Management Team, Clinical Psychology, Leiden University (2013-present)
• Management Team, J.C. Ruigrok Stichting (2015-2024)
• Management Team ‘Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition (LIBC) (2012-2022)
• Management Team Leids Universitair Behandel Expertise Centrum (LUBEC) (2017-2020)
• Scientific Advisory Board Equipex Matrice, National Research Agency (ANR) (Paris, 2017-present)
• Board Leiden Interdisciplinary Network Child Maltreatment (LINC) (2010-2016)
• Management Team, ‘Health, prevention and the Human life cycle’, Leiden University (2011-2019)
• Supervisor ‘Mentor program for female scientists Leiden University’ (2016-2017)
• Advisory board Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Psychology (Hong Kong, 2018)
• Research Supervisor postdoctoral training Clinical Psychologists, NIP (2007-2013)
• Advisor ‘National Center of Expertise on Sexual Convictions’ (Landelijk Expertise centrum Bijzondere Zedenzaken, LEBZ) (2009-2017)

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