Janna Vrijsen appointed Professor of Transdiagnostic Psychopathology

Behavioral scientist Janna Vrijsen from Radboud university medical center has been appointed Professor of Transdiagnostic Psychopathology at Radboud University. She is also affiliated with mental health institution Pro Persona. Her research focuses, among other things, on how exercise and physical activity can contribute to improved mental well-being. 

As a behavioural scientist, Janna Vrijsen conducts research in mental health care and psychiatry. This means that even the most basic research in her research group must ultimately improve mental health care. ‘It is incredibly exciting to discover how small differences between people, and also within people over time, can have major mental effects.’ 

Expertise and research  

Vrijsen looks at how people process information and uses this to develop digital brain training programmes. She also finds it fascinating to investigate how physical training, or exercise, can help the brain function better and make people feel better mentally. ‘I look forward to teaching researchers and psychologists to look beyond mental disorders and see the unique person. It is also my goal to establish exercise as a treatment for depression and other mental disorders.’

Career 

Janna Vrijsen began her academic career at Radboud University with a bachelor's degree in clinical psychology and a research master's degree in Behavioural Science. In 2014, she obtained her PhD at Radboudumc with a thesis titled Biased information processing as endophenotype for depression.  

After her PhD at Radboudumc and work experience at Stanford University, she remained affiliated with the medical faculty as a research coordinator. She was eventually appointed Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Research Group Leader of the FitMind lab group. Janna Vrijsen has also conducted temporary research at Oxford University and the University of Texas at Austin. 

To strengthen collaboration and the impact of research, Dr. Vrijsen started as a senior researcher at Pro Persona in 2015, affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Behavioural Science Institute. This means that her research group is embedded in various mental health departments and faculties at Radboud University, enabling valuable and impactful research to be conducted across these departments. 

In addition to various European and ZonMW grants, Janna Vrijsen has received an NWO VIDI grant for the Work-It-Out project (2024-2028). She is also a Scientific Board member of ACBM and founder of Radboud Ecological Momentary Assessment Centre.

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