I.K. (Isabel) Schuurmans

Current research interests and goals

My research focusses on the development of ‘reserve’ in children and adults. The concept of 'reserve' suggests that early in life a cognitive and brain reserve, measured with cognitive tests and MRIs of the brain, is built up and that this reserve can buffer the effects of neuropathology later in life. During my PhD, I will investigate the role of genetic and environmental factors on the development of cognitive and brain reserve in childhood and adulthood, with a specific focus on early life stressors (pre- and postnatal), epigenetics and sleep.

 

Professional development

I am trained as a Child and Adolescent psychologist with an additional interest in neurological and cognitive development. First, I attained my BSc in psychology, then I obtained my MSc in Clinical Child and Adolescent psychology, both at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Extracurricular activities, such as research internships and research trainee programs, enabled me to learn more about cognition, neuroimaging and epidemiology, which eventually led me to a position as a PhD candidate at the department of Epidemiology and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the Erasmus MC University Medical Center.

Cognitive and brain reserve, psychiatric epidemiology, neuroimaging, early life stress.

Master of Science Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Awarded MSc Clinical Child and Adolescent psychology summa cum laude

Best bachelor thesis of 2017-2018 of the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences