Research

My research is focused on enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects (e.g., expectancies, learning processes such as conditioning and instructions, and physiological correlates) on pain and other physical symptoms. I hereby aim to contribute to improving clinical care and patients’ well-being through harnessing placebo effects and minimizing nocebo effects.

Background

I completed the Research Master Psychology and the Master Clinical Psychology at the University of Amsterdam (2011). I conducted my PhD research first at the Radboud university medical center and then at Leiden University under the supervision of Prof. dr. Andrea Evers, Prof. dr. Madelon Peters, and Dr. Antoinette van Laarhoven. I defended my PhD thesis ‘Harnessing placebo effects by targeting expectancies’ in February 2018. Currently, I work as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in Prof. Evers’ research group Psychoneurobiology of Health and Disease.

Supervision PhD candidates

• LingLing Weng, Transferability of the placebo and nocebo effect between itch and pain (CSC grant)
• Joe Blythe, Unraveling nocebo mechanisms as a cause for the sensitization of somatic symptoms (focus on itch) (NWO Vici grant prof. Andrea Evers)
• Merve Karacaoglu, Identifying patients at risk for the sensitization of somatic symptoms (NWO Vici grant prof. Andrea Evers)
• Fabian Wolters Investigating placebo and nocebo mechanisms in fatigue and circadian rhythms (NWO Vici grant and ERC consolidator grant prof. Andrea Evers, and NWO Top Talent grant)

Teaching

• Tutor workgroups Health & Medical Psychology
• Tutor workgroups Stress, Health, and Disease
• Supervisor Bachelor projects Psychology
• Supervisor internal and external master theses and research internships master tracks Health and Medical Psychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology
• Lecturer on placebo and nocebo effects (Minor Medical Psychology, ErasmusMC & course The Placebo Effect, Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences)
• Lecturer in course Cross-cultural Psychology of Health and illness

Media (selection)

• Om de pijn te verzachten: De kracht van verbeelding [To soften the pain: The power of imagery]. By Janne-Marieke Karsten in Crohniek, September 2018.
• Verbeeldingskracht helpt pijn verminderen [Imagery helps reduces pain]. NPO Radio 1, Nieuws en Co, February 2018.
• Versterk medicatie-effect door juist te communiceren [Enhance medication effect by communicating correctly]. By Francine Aarts in Nuring, February 2018.
• IMAGINATION can reduce pain: Study finds you suffer less if you tell yourself it won’t hurt. By Natalie Rahhal in Daily Mail Online, February 2018.
• Verwachtingen en pijnbestrijding [Expectations and pain relief]. Sleutelstad FM, Science071, June 2016.
• Placebo-effect moet plek krijgen in behandeling [Placebo effect should have a place in treatment]. NPO Radio 1, Nieuws en Co, June 2016.

Academic awards and grants

• ARPH Young Talent Award, awarded by the Association for Researchers in Psychology and Health at the 2019 annual conference.
• IASP travel grant, for attending the IASP world congress on pain, September 2018, Boston, USA.
• Best academic paper 2015-2016, Dutch Flemish Postgraduate School for Research and Education in Experimental Psychopathology (EPP). Awarded for Peerdeman et al. (2017) European Journal of Pain.
• Best article 2015 of the unit Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University. Awarded for Peerdeman et al. (2015) PLoS ONE.

Memberships societies, research schools, and institutes

• Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) - organizing committee 1^st and 2^nd official SIPS conference on placebo studies, 2017 and 2019
• Dutch Flemish Postgraduate School for Research and Education in Experimental Psychopathology (EPP)
• International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
• Association for Researchers in Psychology and Health (ARPH)
• Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC)

Relevant links

• Google Scholar
• ResearchGate
• ORCID
• Twitter

Publications