Information about internships can be found on our BSc/MSc page.
Program support: Anouk Weverling
Contact: aph.mentalhealth@amsterdamumc.nl
To completely understand the causes and consequences of mental health problems, a multidisciplinary approach is needed
Mission and goals
It is undisputed that there is no health without mental health, encompassing the wide spectrum from mental well-being to severe mental illness. Mental disorders, such as depressive disorders, anxiety, and alcohol use disorders are common in the general population; they rank among the conditions with the largest disease burden worldwide. Other, less common disorders, such as psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder and OCD have enormous impact on the lives of those afflicted. Overall, life-time prevalence rates of mental disorders are very high, at 40-50% in most places in the world. Mental health conditions impact not only on individuals’ wellbeing and quality of life, but also their somatic health, healthcare utilization and daily (work) functioning. Therefore, these conditions have a profound impact on society as a whole.
Mental health conditions are considered complex diseases, with multiple risk factors involved in their etiology: genetics, psychosocial and environmental stressors, brain abnormalities, personality and coping strategies and somatic conditions. Consequently, to more completely understand the causes and consequences of mental health problems, a multidisciplinary approach is needed.
To understand the entire spectrum of mental health, the Mental Health research program will in addition to examining the development of (chronic) mental disorders, also encompass mental well-being and quality of life. Such a wide focus will provide insight into resilience factors that prevent mental ill-health, and will provide us with new keys for preventive strategies of mental health problems. A strong focus in our research program will also be on the development of better interventions to improve health among those with mental health problems. It is well known that the currently available treatments work, but not for all. Developing personalized medicine approaches, in which we better target existing or new treatments based on patient profiles, is an important focus for the next decade of mental health research.
Program leaders
Research themes
Etiology, development and consequences of mental health
This theme includes epidemiological, observational research either in the community setting, the general practice setting and/or the psychiatric care setting. We have a rich source of large-scale community and/or patient cohorts covering the entire lifespan. The objectives are to investigate: (1) genetic, clinical, psychosocial and environmental factors that contribute to mental well-being and the development of mental disorders; (2) the chronicity, staging and profiling of disorders; and (3) the impact of mental disorders on the individual patient, the patient’s social environment as well as the society at large.
Prevention and treatment of mental health problems
This theme encompasses research that contributes to evidence-based information on innovative prevention and treatment interventions to improve mental health and reduce associated disability. This research line also uses insights from observational studies, but will mainly provide new insights through the conduct of various intervention studies (RCT’s). These intervention studies are applied in the general population, primary care, mental healthcare and somatic healthcare settings.
Soma & Psyche
This theme aims to facilitate research on the interface between mental health and somatic disease. Mental disorders are highly prevalent in patients with somatic diseases and psychiatric patients frequently have or develop coexisting somatic diseases. The studies investigate (1) mental health, mental disorders and quality of life in persons with various somatic diseases; (2) (underlying reasons for) increased somatic health problems in persons with psychiatric disorders; (3) specific conditions at the interface of soma & psyche such as chronic pain and somatoform symptoms and disorders; and (4) effects of specific intervention programs targeting combined somatic and mental health problems.
Program council
The program leaders of the Mental Health research program chair the MH Program Council. This program council consist of a selection of senior researchers of the research program who meet regularly to implement or update the research program-specific strategy and to discuss anticipatory or reactive response to external events.
Program council members | |
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Claudi Bockting | Brenda Penninx |
Dorret Boomsma | Aartjan Beekman |
Lotte Haverman | Annemieke van Straten |
Patricia van Oppen | Arnoud Verhoeff |
Rudolf Ponds | Ruth van Holst |
Anja Lok |
Junior council
The Mental Health research program has installed a MH Junior Council that provides program leaders with solicited and unsolicited advice and helps them with the organization of research program-specific activities or events.
Junior council members | |
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Camille Souama | Joost Gülpen |
Tessa van Gastel | Noralie Schonewille |
Research program members
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Johanna AssiesPhD
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Femke JansenPhD DR.
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Pieter EikelenboomPROF.DR.
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Irma M. HeinMD
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Ruth J. van HolstPI PhD
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Hilde van der Aa
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Arne PopmaPI PROF.DR.
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Silvia van den HeijkantDR.
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Elsien DozemanDRS. PhD
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Yuri MilaneschiDRS.
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AM Kleiboer
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Jasper J. Anink
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Mirjam S. de Kroo
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Mirjam J. van TrichtPhD
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Roel J. T. MockingMD MSc PhD
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Pythia T. NieuwkerkPI PhD
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Mirjam A. G. SprangersPI Prof. PhD
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Maartje de WitPI DR.
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Aartjan BeekmanPI PROF.DR.
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Glenn J. H. Dumont
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Elsje van Bergen
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Robin M. van EckMD
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Judith E. Bosmans
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Ralph KupkaPI PROF.DR.
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Wouter van BallegooijenPhD
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Anja LokMD PhD
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Tim van de GriftDR.
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Anna C. Domen
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Sander Koole
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Marieke van DijkPhD
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Hans Koot
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Eugenio van SomerenPI DR.
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Johannes SmitPI PROF.DR.
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Nelie BatelaanPI DR. Dr. MD, PhD
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Nina L. Fransen
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Baudewijntje KreukelsPI PROF.DR. Prof. dr.
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Heleen Riper
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Annette BoeninkDR.
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Sander Begeer
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Miriam Douma
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Florentine Bennebroek Evertsz
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Marieke de GierDRS.
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Jens HenrichsDR.
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Anna E. GoudriaanPI Prof. PhD
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Mariska BotMSC. PhD
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Caroline JonkmanMSc
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Joost DekkerPROF.DR.
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Michel NivardDr.
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Anna MuntinghPhD
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Bernard van MeijelPI PROF.DR.
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Rosalie Pronk
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Adriaan HonigPI PROF.DR.
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Frank SnoekPI PROF.DR.
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Yulan Qing
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Karel W. F. Scheepstra
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Linde ScholtenPhD
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JCN de Geus
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Rose-Marie DroesPI PROF.DR.
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Ansam Barakat
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Irene L. M. Klaassen
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Lise Kemmeren
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Rosa BoeschotenDR.
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Jan Pieter P. MarchalPhD
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Cheima Bouziane
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Maximilianus StekPI PROF.DR.
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Henriëtte van der HorstPI PROF.DR.
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Karen NieuwenhuijsenPI PhD
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DI Boomsma
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Rick Jansen
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Otto MaarsinghPI DR. Epidemiologist B PhD MD General Practitioner Associate Professor
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Lisette Krot-Bijker
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AHM WillemsenProf.
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Esther M. van Duin
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Thijs J. Burger
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Andreas Leonard Amons
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Yak Mee M. Wong
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Marijke BremmerDR.
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Dorine H. NiemanPI PhD
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Dennis van t Ent
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Femke LamersPI DR.IR.
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Lannie Ligthart
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Marit SijbrandijPhD
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Tara Donker
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JJM Dekker
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Anouk G. M. SchranteePhD
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Jentien M. VermeulenMD
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Nina F. Schirmbeck
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Christiaan Vis
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Jenny van Dongen
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Liesbeth van der Sluijs VeerPhD
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Antonius van BalkomPI PROF.DR.
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Chaya Rodrigues Pereira
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Hiske E. BeckerMD
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C Schuengel
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Filip Smit
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Almar KokDR.
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Hansje HellerDR.
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Alyssa Jongeneel
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Eirini Karyotakidr.
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Marjonneke de Vetten
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Jasper B. Zantvoord
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Dominique S. ScheepensMD
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Lucres Nauta-JansenPI DR.
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AC Huizink
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Gert J. GeurtsenPI MSc PhD
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Merijn Eikelenboommr.
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Lieuwe de HaanPI Prof. PhD
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Adrie SeldenrijkDR.
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Lieke van DomburghPhD, L.LM
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M van der Gaag
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Pierre BetDR.
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Anne BakkerPhD
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Anastasia DraismaDR.
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Amy M. Tedja
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Agnes Willemen
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Sigfried SchouwsDR. DR. PhD
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Hans KnoopPI Prof. PhD
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Irma Verdonck-de LeeuwPI PROF.DR.
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Patricia van OppenPI PROF.DR.
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Esmée VerwijkPhD
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Mirjam van ZuidenPI PhD
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Angelika MühlebnerPhD
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Karen HoltmaatMA
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Arno A. Colenbrander
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Brenda PenninxPI PROF.DR.
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Pim Cuijpers
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M Bartels
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Marie-Jolette LuijksMSC.
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Eric van ExelPI DR.
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Clasien de Schipper
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Jolanda Maas
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Lotte HavermanPI PhD
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Axel PetzoldDR.
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Merel M. van Herpen
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Hilde de Kluiver
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Jessy Joy J. van KleefMSc
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Sonja Rutten
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M Oosterman
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Nicole KortenDR.
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Paula Sterkenburg
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Bernardette C. E. M. Blom
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Idserd D. G. Klop
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Claudi L. H. BocktingPI Prof. MSc PhD
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Karin J. H. VerweijPI Prof. PhD
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Maud M. van MuilekomMSc
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Mara L. van der HoevenMSc
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Maria E. AbrahamsePhD
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Jos A. Bosch
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Wouter PeyrotDR.
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Hanneke du Mortier
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Agni Baka
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Mieke Schulte
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Christiaan VinkersPI PROF.DR.MR. PROF.DR.MR.
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Annemieke DolsPI DR. MD PhD
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Anneke van SchaikPI DR.
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Sandra KooijProf. PROF.DR.
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Susan J. HarnasMSc
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Lorynn TeelaMSc
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Jessy D. Bergamin
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Michiel A. J. Luijten
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Sanne van der HeijdenBSc
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Malindi van der Mheen
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Amanda M. LegemaatMSc
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Ilse L. Verhagen
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Fabiola MüllerBSc MSc PhD
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Indira PrimasariMSc
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Lieke H. KooijMSc
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Melissa Y. M. ThongPhD
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Meagan DoppegieterMSc
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Iza C. A. Scherpbier
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Elise S. Beket
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Renée E. Klein Schaarsberg
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Erik RietveldPI PhD
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Josine VerhoevenDR.
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Eline Eigenhuis
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Annemiek SchadéDR.
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Jasper Wiebenga
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Dayenne van Schie
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Caroline SonnenbergDRS.
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Trees JuurlinkDR. Dr.
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Birit BroekmanDR. MA MD PhD Associate Professor
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Daphne van der Draai
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Carine den BoerDRS.
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Karin Remmerswaal
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Helena OldenhofMSC.
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Annelies Brouwer
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Willemijn Scholten
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Ilja SarisDRS.
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Arnoldus van der LeeDRS.
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Klaas NautaDRS.
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Sjors LangeDRS.
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Jacqueline van der LeeDRS.
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Thomas D. SteensmaPI DR.
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Anna de VriesDR.
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Julia BinnewiesDRS.
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Eleonore van SprangDRS.
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Hieke BarendsMedical Doctor Master of Science in Epidemiology
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Lisa van Zutphen
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Saskia KnapenDRS.
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Els Nadort