Youth-GEMs | Improving youth mental health, one step at a time

<< News

New scientific study: Epigenetic biomarkers of inflammation in mental health studies

The Youth-GEMs project aims to identify how genes and environment together shape mental health in youth. To do so, researchers use data from large-scale studies which follow developing youth over time, to identify factors which help predict who will develop mental health problems and who won’t.

The field of epigenetics investigates the interplay between genes and the environment by looking at the DNA. In this article, Winni Schalkwijk – a PhD student at the University Medical Centre Utrecht – explains her team’s research into epigenetic biomarkers, and how they can tell us about the role of the immune system in mental health.

What does epigenetics mean?

“Your DNA is like a recipe book for how your body is built up. Each cell contains the same DNA, but it differs per tissue and moment in life how often each recipe is read and used. Epigenetics is an umbrella term for all processes which influence how accessible the DNA code is for being read”, Winni explains.

One of these epigenetic processes is DNA methylation: the attachment of small tags (methyl groups) to the DNA. These tags can hide genes from being read and thereby switch active genes off. As a result, the function of a cell is changed in response to the environment, without changes in the actual digits of the DNA code.

What are epigenetic biomarkers of inflammation?

From a blood sample, researchers can extract DNA from immune cells that circulate in the bloodstream. Has the cell been producing lots of immune messenger molecules? Then the genes encoding those molecules will have been switched on. This is reflected in the pattern of methyl tags attached to the DNA. Winni elaborates: “Since epigenetic patterns such as DNA methylation are quite stable, they can tell us about the long-term activation state of a person’s immune system.”

But how do researchers know where to look in the immensely long DNA code? For this, researchers can derive a biomarker: a sum of epigenetic switches that together link to inflammation in an individual (see Figure 1 below).

Figure 1 Deriving DNA methylation (DNAm) biomarkers of inflammation.
In a blood sample, researchers look for epigenetic on or off switches upon inflammation. They do so by screening for sites in the DNA (called CpG sites) where they find more methyl groups attached (yellow tags on blue DNA strand) when blood levels of inflammatory proteins are high. This analysis that screens for epigenetic switches is called an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS).
Researchers can perform an EWAS in a large group of individuals to train a DNAm marker: a weighted sum of methylation levels across important CpG sites. This biomarker can then be applied to any group of people with epigenetic data, to investigate relationships between inflammation and mental health.

Why are epigenetic biomarkers of inflammation important for mental health?

Previous research suggests that the immune system is involved in mental health conditions. People who experience mental health problems seem to have higher levels of inflammatory markers than people who don’t. But it is hard to know what comes first: is inflammation the result of mental health problems or can it predict the onset of mental health problems later in life? 

 “Most studies which follow youth over time have measured single immune messenger molecules, which only capture a small part of the immune response, for one snapshot in time. Epigenetic biomarkers can give richer information about an individual’s immune system over time, which can help uncover long-term relationships with mental health,” Winni explains. In their latest study, she and her team set out to explore what existing research tells us about this topic, contributing to the Youth-GEMs project’s broader aim of understanding how mental health problems develop in youth.

What did the study look into?

The team searched databases of scientific articles to find out what researchers have previously discovered on this topic. They first looked for studies on which DNA methylation switches relate to inflammation, to create an overview of epigenetic biomarkers of inflammation that are currently available. Then, they searched for studies which used such biomarkers to study how inflammation is related to mental health.

What were the main findings?

The team found 29 articles which identified DNA methylation patterns related to inflammation. Then, the team found 14 studies which examined epigenetic biomarkers of inflammation in relation to mental health (e.g. depression) or other outcomes relevant to mental health, including cognition (e.g. memory or processing speed) and brain structure measured with brain imaging (e.g. volumes of specific brain areas).

Winni summarises the results: “Studies using epigenetic biomarkers reported that inflammation was related to reduced cognitive function, lower brain volumes and reduced integrity of white matter, which are the connections between brain cells.”

Findings for mental health were less clear. “Studies reported either that higher inflammation was related to more mental health problems or did not find any association between the two.” The team noticed that most studies focused on depression, while only a few studies examined other outcomes such as psychotic experiences or ADHD. The age at measurement varied strongly, making the findings hard to compare.

What does it mean for the future?

These findings suggest that epigenetic biomarkers offer a promising tool for studying how the immune system is involved in brain health and mental health, but more research is needed. The team has several ideas to bring this research field further, shown in Figure 2.

“If epigenetic biomarkers can help better understand how the immune system is involved in mental health, these insights can ultimately be used to improve prevention and treatment strategies, supporting both body and mind to boost resilience in youth.”

Figure 2 Recommendations for future research. Further explore mental health prediction by evaluating a wider range of epigenetic biomarkers and mental health outcomes. Develop novel DNAm biomarkers using larger and richer datasets. Study environmental risk factors throughout development to understand how the immune system responds to the environment in which youth grow up.

 

Read the full article 👉 Epigenetic biomarkers of inflammation in studies on mental health: Current applications, limitations, and future directions – ScienceDirect

This article was written by:

Winni Schalkwijk

PhD student at University Medical Centre Utrecht 

Improving youth mental health,
one step at a time

Improving youth mental health,
one step at a time

Powered by Catalyze

Funding statement

Funded by the European Union under grant number 101057182. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 

Quick Links

Improving youth mental health
one step at a time

Linkedin X-twitter Instagram

Funding statement

Funded by the European Union under grant number 101057182. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 

Quick Links

Powered by Catalyze

All Rights Reserved © 2024

Jeltje Spapens, Msc

PhD candidate & research assistent

Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute (Maastricht)

Jeltje is a researcher with a background in Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences. Alongside her PhD, she contributes to the Youth GEMs study by meeting participants across the Netherlands to collect data, and supporting participant recruitment, particularly in the South of the Netherlands.

Beyond her academic work, Jeltje is passionate about creating safe and supportive spaces for young people as a yoga teacher. The connection between body and mind is something she carries into her approach to mental health research as well.

Dr Alex Richards

Research Associate 

Cardiff University 

Dr Alex is a Research Associate from Cardiff University who is particularly interested in the role of common variation in causing mental health disorders. He is using Genomic SEM to look for genetic signal that is either shared between, or differentiates, psychiatric disorders of interest. These will be examined for enrichment with functional categories and cell type specific genes. 

Laura Giani

R&D software developer 

Ab.Acus 

In Youth-GEMs Laura works on the design and development of the Youth-GEMs digital solution that will be used in the WP7 clinical trial. She would like to help the new generations to be more aware of their mental health and needs, and believes digital tools are the proper way to do it.

Esmeralda Ruiz Pujadas

Co-lead WP6

Universidad de Barcelona  

Mental disorders are the third most common cause of disease burden, starting at a young age. Mental illnesses are often recurrent, reducing the quality of life for young people. This is the main reason why Esmeralda has decided to join this project. Esmeralda hopes to ‘do her bit’ to help improve mental health and wishes that mental health will gain more attention thanks to the Youth-Gems project, one of the major initiatives for this purpose. To achieve this, she will be developing models among help-seeking young people to predict mental health outcomes, as well as studying different trajectories to gain new insights into youth mental health. She also aims for the proposed models to be trustworthy, ensuring they are explainable and fair across all subgroups of the population.

Maria Bulgheroni

R&D Director 

Ab.Acus. 

Maria coordinates the diverse design and development activities across the different WPs in which Ab.Acus is involved. In her view, taking care of mental health since a young age is a key step in the creation of a more inclusive society. 

Noussair Lazrak

Co-lead WP6 

University of Barcelona 

As an Artificial Intelligence researcher, Noussair is working on developing AI models for youth mental health trajectories to analyze and process comprehensive data using machine learning techniques. He collaborates with mental health professionals to ensure the models are relevant and accurate to real-world mental health care while considering ethical and privacy issues. His goal is to develop effective AI models that identify patterns and risk factors for mental health disorders, provide personalized interventions and treatments, and intervene early in the development of mental health disorders. 

Dr Lucy Riglin

Lecturer 

Cardiff University 

Dr Lucy Riglin is a lecturer based at the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health and part of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry group within the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics. She is part of our work-package 5. Her research investigates young people’s mental health using an interdisciplinary approach, integrating developmental psychopathology, psychiatry and genetic-epidemiology. 

Erika van Hell

Neuroscientist and project manager

Maastricht University

Erika van Hell is a neuroscientist and project manager who has been involved in several larger international projects and consortia in the area of psychiatry and mental health. In Youth-GEMs, she coordinates the efforts to ensure that the valuable results of the project will be used and implemented by the people who would benefit the most (e.g. people with mental health problems, scientists, policy makers). In addition, she plays a part in WP7, working together with PIs Thérèse van Amelsvoort (Maastricht University) and Christel Middeldorp (Amsterdam UMC) to coordinate the clinical study in the Netherlands. 

Prof. Dr. Ph.A.E.G. (Philippe) Delespaul

Clinical Psychologist 

Maastricht University 

Prof. Dr. Ph.A.E.G. (Philippe) Delespaul is a Belgian mathematical psychologist/psychometrist, clinical psychologist, and CBT supervisor. He is professor of Innovations in Mental Health Care at the School for Mental Health and NeuroScience (Maastricht University) and the Mondriaan Mental Health Centre. He advises regional, national, and international stakeholders in mental health service innovation. He integrates human rights with user and family involvement. With Jim van Os, he initiated the Dutch New Mental Health movement and develops local ecosystems for mental health (GEM). His focus is on ambulatory care for people with severe mental health needs. He co-developed the FACT model of integrated care. He is a pioneer and expert in the experience sampling methodology (ESM) to assess daily adaptational strategies and improve resilience. He developed the PsyMate™ App to facilitate ESM dissemination. He wrote three books, more than 50 chapters in edited manuals, and co-authored more than 200 PubMed-listed articles. 

Dr. Dorothee Horstkötter

Assistant professor in ethics and philosophy 

Maastricht University 

Dr. Dorothee Horstkötter  is an assistant professor in ethics and philosophy. She is head of the Department of Health Ethics and Society, part of the School of Mental Health and Neuroscience at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Her research covers ethical and conceptual questions at the interface of neuroscience/mental health/genomics and (disordered) human behavior.  She has published on ethical question regarding mental health prevention across the life-span, covering the prevention of antisocial behavior in young children and their families  up to the ethics of dementia risk-reduction in midlife. She has lead research on the ethics of good care for parents who use drugs and on the concept of ‘neuro-parenting’. Her work also addresses ethical issues in neurostimulation (DBS, TMs, tDCS, etc.) for psychiatry. Her work invokes philosophical reasoning as well as empirical  ethics and qualitative research methods, ensuring the inclusion of the views and perspective of all stakeholders. Dorothee Horstkötter is an experienced teacher in applied bioethics, research ethics and philosophy of medicine and a longstanding ethics-member of the Maastricht Medical Research Ethical Committee. 

Sanne Berkers

PhD student 

Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry 

Sanne Berkers is a PhD student in the Binder Lab at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry. Her project, part of WP4 4, aims to identify genetic variants that influence stress-sensitive gene regulatory elements. Mental health determines much of our wellbeing. Yet, the processes underlying disease are poorly understood, which associates with suboptimal intervention. In her view, it is a field that requires and deserves efforts towards improved therapeutics. 

Prof. Dr. Jeroen Pasterkamp

Full Professor 

University Medical Center Utrecht 

My role in the consortium is to translate (epi)genetic findings towards human neurons using induced pluripotent stem cell technology and genome editing. Using these neuronal culture models, we can further understand disease mechanisms and perform therapy development. As a chair of the UMC Utrecht Brain Center I am responsible for psychiatric care and research. Our limited resources to treat psychiatric patients stimulated me to join YouthGems. 

Dr Gina Commin

Research Assistant 

University of Exeter 

Dr Gina Commin is a Research Assistant at the University of Exeter, working with Professor Jon Mill. She is  interested in the role of epigenetics in the developing human brain and its influence on mental health trajectories. Her role in WP4 is to helpto characterize patterns of genomic regulation from human cortex samples.  

Dr Jonathan P. Davies 

Postdoctoral Researcher 

University of Exeter 

Dr Jonathan Davies is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Exeter with an interest in human brain development and possible associations with neuropsychiatric disorders and mental health. He works in WP4 with Professor Jonathan Mill, to expand their work on the regulatory genomics of neurodevelopment throughout fetal, childhood and young adult human brains.  

Jonathan Mill

Professor of Epigenomics and Head of Department for Clinical & Biomedical Sciences 

University of Exeter 

Jonathan Mill, heads a group at the University of Exeter (UK) that studies the causes and consequences of genomic variation in the human brain and the role this plays in mental illness and other brain disorders. In particular they explore the way in which gene expression changes in specific brain cell types across development, and how disruptions to this might influence the risk of disease. Johnatan co-leads WP4 and his work in Youth-GEMS aims to characterize patterns of epigenomic and transcriptional regulation during key points in prenatal development and early childhood. In his view, the molecular marks studied in the project are particularly interesting as they potentially play a role at the interface between both genetic and non-genetic risk factors. 

Covadonga Martínez Díaz-Caneja

WP7 lead 

Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Gregorio Marañón 

Covadonga is fascinated by how the brain develops and evolves in a constant dialogue with the environment and wants to understand how to improve mental health and wellbeing in young people. 

Anna F. Wiersema

PhD candidate  

University Medical Center Utrecht  

In her work, Anna tries to determine the molecular functionality of the (epi)genetic variants that have been found earlier in our work package to identify actionable biological targets in the future. She and the rest of the team do this by using an advanced human in vitro model called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This novel stem cell technology allows them to perform multiple functional assays to, for example, look at the morphology and activity of multiple different cell types.  

Liina Nagirnaja 

Scientific Project Manager  

Center for Genomic Regulation  

Liina Nagirnaja, PhD, is a co-lead of Work Package 3. As a Scientific Project Manager at the European Genomic-phenomic Archive (EGA), she is coordinating various data discovery projects that facilitate biomedical research. She is keen on contributing to studies that explore the underlying causes of complex human disease, such as disorders of mental health.  

Mariël Kanne

Teacher/researcher 

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht 

Mariël Kanne is an ethicist, specialized in ethical questions in the field of healthcare and social work. She works at the HU University of applied sciences Utrecht in the Netherlands as teacher/researcher. In WP-2, she tries to stimulate reflection on the moral values and dilemmas that are inherent in a project like YouthGEMs, where researchers and young people with mental health issues work together, with the aim to improve mental health and the mental health care system. 

Hanske Douwenga

Senior Lecturer 

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht 

Hanske Douwenga (Remedial Educationalist) is a senior lecturer in the Master Pedagogy program and a researcher at the HU University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Hanske is specialized in Ecological Pedagogy, Critical Pedagogy, Child Rights, and Participatory Research. Co-design is a significant aspect of her work as a lecturer and researcher. 

Ella Sheltawy

Youth GEMS Engagement Facilitator 

Euro Youth Mental Health 

With extensive experience as an advocate in mental health, Ella has seen how hard it can be for young people to access appropriate support and how their voices can be lost when they are facing stigma and inequalities within systems. She is passionate about joining the Youth GEMS project in order to be alongside young people, pushing forward new research that understands them. Aside from being passionate about mental health, Ella is also studying art part-time and is a lover of the great outdoors and discovering new places! 

Nick Morgan

Youth Engagement Lead/EYMH Director 

Euro Youth Mental Health 

Nick is the founder of Euro Youth Mental Health and an expert by lived experience with clinical depression and anxiety. Nick is deeply passionate about advocating for young people and ensuring they are empowered to use their voices and lived experiences to make positive changes in the world of mental health that impact them. 

Lonneke Fuhler

Remedial Educationalist

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht 

Lonneke Fuhler (Remedial Educationalist) is a lecturer at the HU University of applied sciences Utrecht in the Netherlands. She teaches developmental psychology and conversation skills and is also a teacher in the field of trauma-sensitive work with youth. Her previous experience at Trauma Care Company (in the Netherlands), where she coached children, youth and adults with traumatizing experiences, is of added value to our Work Package 2. Lonneke stresses the fact that trauma-sensitive work has to be much more widely and strongly supported within (health) care for young people. 

Lisette van der Poel 

Developmental Psychologist 

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht 

Lisette van der Poel is a developmental psychologist and Co-lead of WP-2. She works at the HU University of applied sciences Utrecht in the Netherlands and is focused on giving children and young people a voice in matters and research concerning their own lives and well-being. Along with Simona Karbouniaris and Jim van Os, she plays a role in this project by involving young people in the project. Lisette is specialized in ecological pedagogy, participatory research and community building. 

Simona Karbouniaris 

Social Scientist, WP2 leader 

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht 

Simona Karbouniaris is a professor of Mental Health working at the intersection of mental health care, trauma-informed practice, and lived experiences. She is affiliated with the University of Applied Sciences Leiden, mental health institute Rivierduinen and University of applied Sciences Utrecht where she contributes to research and professional learning communities focusing on recovery-oriented and trauma-sensitive care.

Simona’s work centres on complex trauma, ethics and adverse effects of mental health services, and the meaningful integration of lived experience into policy, practice, and curricula. She is the author of several books and regularly advises professionals (social workers, psychiatrists, nurses), researchers, and policymakers. Through participatory action research, she aims to humanise mental health systems and strengthen relational, socially grounded approaches to care. Simona is also member of the supervisory boards of two mental health institutions.

Dr. Sinan Guloksuz

Associate Professor of Psychiatry 

Maastricht University 

Dr. Sinan Guloksuz is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He serves as the Vice Coordinator and Work-Package Leader (Data Inference) in the Youth-GEMs project. With a clinical psychiatry and epidemiology background, his main research interest is understanding the role of gene-environment interaction in youth mental health trajectories by analyzing large youth cohorts and clinical populations. 

Prof. Dr. Bart Rutten 

Youth-GEMs coordinator 

Maastricht University 

Bart Rutten is a distinguished psychiatrist and neuroscientist leading innovative research at Maastricht University Medical Centre. He coordinates multinational projects exploring gene-environment interactions and the interplay of neurobiology in mental health. Since 2022, Bart leads the trans-syndromal approach of the HORIZON Europe funded “Youth-GEMs” project, focusing on young individuals’ mental phenotypes and underlying gene-environment dynamics. 

Elisabeth Binder

Co-lead Work-Package 4

Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry

Elisabeth Binder is the Director of the Department of Genes and Environment at the Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Germany, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, USA. Her main research interests include identifying molecular moderators of the response to environmental factors, with a focus on early adverse environment and gene x environment interactions. She uses different omics approaches, including gene regulation, to evaluate large human cohorts and induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived models. The ultimate goal of her research is to develop novel prevention and treatment strategies for psychiatric diseases.

Add Your Heading Text Here

Title

Institute

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Margherita La Gamba

Biomedical researcher 

Ab.Acus 

In Youth-GEMs Margherita is responsible for the collection through co-design of user requirements and feedbacks for the development of the mobile app and digital platform. Youth mental health is something she really cares about after experiencing the hard reality of loved ones struggling. 

Prof Ian Kelleher

Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 

University of Edinburgh (UK), University College Dublin (Ireland), and University of Oulu (Finland)

Prof. Ian Kelleher leads WP7 together with Dr Covadonga Martínez Díaz-Caneja. 

Prof Ian Keller is originally from Ireland, lives in Scotland and is running the Youth GEMS study in Finland. In his view, it’s interesting to work between 3 different countries as it provides lots of opportunities to learn from inter-country similarities and differences.  

Sahar Moukadem (MSc)

Research Assistant

Maastricht University

Sahar is a Dutch researcher with a background in health sciences and genetic research. During her bachelor’s degree, she completed a minor in Brain & Mind, which sparked her interest in the interplay between physical and genetic factors and mental health. This was also a central focus during her master’s degree.

At Youth-GEMs, Sahar works as a research assistant and is responsible for participant support in the Northern region of the Netherlands, including supporting the inclusion process and guiding participants through the study.

Jim van Os

Professor of Psychiatry, Chair of the Brain Division

UMC Utrecht

Jim van Os, born in Utrecht in 1960, is a Professor of Psychiatry and also serves as the Chair of the Brain Division at UMC Utrecht. He is a member of both the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities. His work focuses on critically evaluating the prevailing model of mental suffering, which is often simplistically portrayed as being ‘sick in the head.’ He argues that this approach has had little positive impact on the quality of mental health care in the Western world and may even have contributed to the notable increase in mental disorders among young people. 

Van Os views academic psychiatry and psychology as ‘pre-sciences’ that urgently need more layered and complex models of mental suffering, taking into account its social-collectivist causes and the necessity for broad salutogenesis and resilience-building (public mental health). He raises the crucial question of how mental health care should be organized in a society where the annual prevalence of mental suffering is 25%, a question that has so far remained largely unaddressed in research. 

Jim van Os advocates for a new approach to mental health care, one that is rooted in epistemic pluralism: the idea that mental suffering can be viewed through multiple lenses (social, medical, spiritual, lifestyle, existential, physical, post-traumatic) and that individuals should have the ability to choose how and from which framework they wish to work on change. 

Angelo Arias Magnasco

PhD candidate

Maastricht University

Angelo completed his BSc in Genetics and his MSc in Neurosciences in Barcelona by 2022. In 2023, he interned with Dr. Guloksuz’s group in Maastricht, where he developed an interest in the exposome and its impact on mental health.

Now a PhD Candidate at Maastricht University, Angelo is part of Work Package 5 in the “Exposome and Mental Health Research Group.” His research focuses on gene-environment interactions to enhance understanding and develop preventative and personalized treatments for mental health conditions. 

Zjulie Rutten

Research assistant

Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute (Maastricht)

Zjulie is a Dutch researcher with a background in cognitive neuroscience. Throughout her studies, she developed a strong passion for understanding mental health challenges, stress, and resilience.

This interest has driven her to continue exploring these topics within the Youth-GEMs project, where she works as a research assistant. In this role, Zjulie performs assessments, offers ongoing support to participants in the Netherlands, and provides guidance throughout the course of the study.  

Veerle Boesten

Research assistant

Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute (Maastricht)

Veerle’s role is to recruit participants and to collect data for the Youth-GEMs project.

Dr Valentina Kieseppä

Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Oulu

Valentina Kieseppä is a postdoctoral reasearcher working in WP7 in Oulu, Finland. She is a clinical psychologist by training and has a PhD in psychology. She is passionate aboute understanding mental health and illness and making real impact through research.

Marijke Kolk

Msc Applied Psychology and Bachelor of International Journalism

Hogeschool Utrecht

Marijke works as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism at the HU University of applied sciences Utrecht in the Netherlands. In several Honours courses on trauma en journalism she worked with students. One of the results is the book ‘Blootgelegd’ (‘Exposed’) in which the stories of several traumatised man and women are published, as are interviews with professionals working in the field. Together with Hanske Douwenga she is developing a training for European Health Care professionals on how to interview young people in order to collect narratives on mental health related topics.

Flore Joskin

Communications professional

Maastricht University

Flore Joskin is a communications professional specializing in the dissemination of mental health projects at the Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute of Maastricht University. Through comprehensive communication strategies Flore enhances the visibility and impact of diverse (research) projects, contributing to the advancement of mental health support and research towards multiple audiences. Flore also contributes to the YOUTHreach study (www.youth-reach.eu), a large European study on youth mental health coordinated by Maastricht University. 

Karim Lekadir

PI

University of Barcelona

Karim Lekadir is an ICREA Research Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Barcelona. He obtained his PhD from Imperial College London and was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University. He investigates new data science techniques for trustworthy and ethical artificial intelligence in medicine. He has been PI in 12 EU-funded projects, including the youth-GEMS project and coordinated 5 Horizon projects, and was awarded an ERC Consolidator grant to investigate new AI techniques tailored to resource-limited settings. 

Nada Gruja

Research assistant

School of Medicine, University of Split

Nada is a research assistant who works directly with young people, providing guidance, emotional support, and a safe space for open dialogue as part of a broader interdisciplinary research initiative. As a Master of Nursing, her approach combines evidence-based knowledge with a compassionate, youth-centered perspective. Outside of her academic and professional work, Nada expresses her creativity through aerial silk performance and playing the piano.

Jakša Vukojević, MD, PhD

Specialist in Psychiatry

University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče

Jakša is a specialist in psychiatry with a PhD in neuroscience and is currently pursuing a subspecialization in biological psychiatry. He earned his medical degree from the University of Zagreb School of Medicine and currently works in the Department for Diagnostics and Intensive Care at the “Vrapče” Psychiatric Hospital.

Actively engaged in research, Jakša has volunteered in pharmacology and molecular pathology laboratories, is the author of several dozen scientific publications, and has completed courses in stress, statistics, and data science. Beyond clinical and research work, Jakša has contributed to mental health app development and market research consulting, applying his expertise to interdisciplinary initiatives.

Triin Kurrikoff

Research Fellow in Neuropsychopharmacology

University of Tartu, Faculty of Science and Technology, Institute of Chemistry

Triin Kurrikoff is a Research Fellow in Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Chemistry and lecturer in Biological Psychology in Institute of Psychology in the University of Tartu, Estonia. Her main research topics in the field of science are gene´environment interactions in impulsivity and ADHD and she has authored 13 research articles. Triin has a long-time experience in conducting the longitudinal study of Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study (ECPBHS) which had followed its participants from age 9 to 33 and has worked as a school psychologist for a short period of time. 

In Youth-GEMs, Triin is project coordinator of the WP7 Estonian Youth-GEMs team starting from the spring of 2024. She is responsible for coordinating the translation of the questionnaires, composing the application to the Ethics Committee and will continue to grow her role throughout the project.

Winni Schalkwijk, MSc

PhD student

UMC Utrecht

In her research, Winni explores how epigenetic biomarkers can reveal key determinants of mental health trajectories in youth. Epigenetic mechanisms are involved in long-term developmental programming and are responsive  to environmental challenges. By studying epigenetic biomarkers, Winni aims to enhance our understanding of immune-related resilience mechanisms, ultimately contributing to improved prevention and treatment of mental health problems.

Aldar Cabrelles Muñoz

Data Coordinator

European Genome-Phenome Archive

Aldar Cabrelles is part of Work Package 3, working as a Data Coordinator and Curator at the European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA). In this position, he provides assistance in the creation of Data Management Plans with guidance towards good practices, and aids in the harmonization and interoperability of data in different fields. He puts a special effort in making sure everything can be understood by as many people as possible.

Therese van Amelsvoort

Academic Psychiatrist

Maastricht University

Therese van Amelsvoort is an academic psychiatrist and Professor in Transitional Psychiatry. She trained at Maudsley & Bethlem NHS/IoP/KCL (London) and currently leads the Mental Health academic research group of Maastricht University. She has obtained funding for, and supervised over 50 PhD projects and has been running the National Adult 22q11DS Centre of Expertise for over 20 years. In addition, she is co-founder of @ease (www.ease.nl), the Dutch version of the successful Australian Headspace initiative, youth mental health walk-in centers serving prevention and early detection. Finally she runs (and initiated) a specialised youth mental health care service bridging the gap between child & adolescence and adult services. She has more than 30 years clinical experience and is part of several international collaborative research networks including YOUTHreach, Youth-GEMS, IBBC, Genes2MH, ENIGMA, PSYSCAN, RTOC, MINDDS.

Marta Ferrer-Quintero

Helps coordinate WP7

Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón

Marta Ferrer-Quintero, PhD is in charge of helping coordinate WP7 at Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health (Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón)  and making sure everything goes according to plan. Marta is devoted to improving mental health in youth and believes research is the perfect tool to promote fair and universal mental healthcare to all. When not at work, she can be found reading sci-fi, climbing, doing yoga or at the park with her dog Toffee. 

Renzo Abregú-Crespo

Psychologist researcher 

Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón 

Renzo Abregú-Crespo is a research psychologist at Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health (Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón). He is currently completing his doctoral studies in research on the prevention of bullying in young people with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Renzo has extensive training in clinical and neuropsychological assessment and intervention in psychological trauma. In recent years, he has been exclusively dedicated to delving deeper into the field of research and expanding his knowledge of mental health in young people, which he considers essential for providing high-quality care services tailored to this population.   

Renzo will be responsible for conducting clinical and neuropsychological assessments of YouthGEMS participants. Furthermore, he will contribute to supporting project coordination to ensure that the planned objectives are achieved. 

Maud Daemen

Research coordinator 

Maastricht University  

Dr. Maud Daemen is a research coordinator at Maastricht University. Her PhD project focussed on the role of self-esteem in pathways to psychopathology. She is particullary interested in youth mental health. Within Youth-GEMs she is involved in the coordination of practical implementation of the research project at Maastricht University.  

Anouk Boonstra

PhD candidate  

Maastricht University  

Anouk Boonstra is a Dutch researcher who studied neuroscience and health & medical psychology, worked as a psychologist, and is now a Ph.D. candidate in youth mental health. Specifically, she studies innovative ways to improve the provision and accessibility of youth mental health support. This includes the @ease youth mental health walk-in centres (www.ease.nl), solutions for the youth to adult service transition, and a transdiagnostic ecological momentary self-esteem intervention for youth exposed to childhood adversity.  Within Youth-GEMs, Anouk is active in Work-Package 7: Clinical Innovation​, including the systematic review and (initially providing input for planning of) the clinical studies.  

Marija Nikolic

MD & PhD candidate  

Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth 
Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases Dedinje

Marija Nikolic is a research assistant for the Youth-GEMs project at the Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth in Belgrade. As an MD and PhD candidate, Marija understands the importance of addressing the rising mental health problems in youth, as they continue to struggle with their emotional, psychological, and social well-being. She believes that the Youth-GEMs project has the potential to make a significant contribution to the field of youth mental health by providing practical guidelines and connecting different areas of knowledge.

Aleksa Milevic

MA Psychologist and RE&CBT Psychotherapist under supervision 

Clinic for neurology and psychiatry for children and youth Belgrade 

Research assistent for the project at the Clinic for neurology and psychiatry for children and youth Belgrade. Mental health was always in focus of Aleksa’s interests because it is still deep and unexplored topic. From his perspective, Youth-GEMs is great opportunity to connect different knowledges and get a practical guidelines about mental health. 

Jasna Jancic

Neuropsychiatrist, Full Professor of neurology  

Medical faculty University of Belgrade  

Senior resercher for the project at the Clinic for neurology and psychiatry for children and youth Belgrade. In her view, the scientific significance of this international project is a dynamic view of developmental disorders that unifies congenital and acquired patterns and provides insight into individual and general characteristics of neuropsychiatric functioning. 

Dejan Stevanovic

Child psychiatrist & Senior Research Fellow 

Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth  

Site principal investigator for the project. In Dejan’s view the benefit of international scientific collaboration for youth mental health is in carving research ideas and actions globally but taking into account what’s common and what’s different in our needs locally.

Nele Volbragt 

Research coordinator   

Maastricht University  

Nele Volbragt is a research coordinator at Maastricht University since 2016 with a special interest in youth mental health and genetic syndroms. She has mainly worked on (international) projects focused on mental health issues like psychosis, anxiety and others.In Youth-GEMs she is involved in the coordination and practical implementation of the research project in WP7.   

Dr. Sophie Leijdesdorff 

Assistant Professor  

Maastricht University  

Dr. Sophie Leijdesdorff is a psychologist and assistant professor. Her aim is to take away all barriers to care for young people with mental health problems. Her research focuses on innovative youth mental health interventions, assessing their accessibility, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. She sees great value in involving young people, often with lived experience of mental health problems, in her research as co-researchers, and developed herself as qualitative researcher to give young people a voice trough eg. interviews.   

Jaanus Harro, MD, PhD

Professor and Chair of Neuropsychopharmacology 

University of Tartu 

Jaanus Harro is Professor and Chair of Neuropsychopharmacology at the University of Tartu. The team led by him contributes to WP7 of Youth-GEMS. Dr Harro is conducting research on mental health across a broad spectrum, from developing innovative animal models and novel treatments to longitudinally following representative human birth cohort samples, with focus on general vulnerability and resilience. 

Tomislav Franić, MD, PhD

Associate Professor in Psychiatry 

School of Medicine, University of Split

Tomislav, a subspecialist in child and adolescent psychiatry, often reflects, “I didn’t choose psychiatry; psychiatry chose me.” His passion for studying mental health has driven his career, seeking innovative ways to support and help young people. As the principal investigator in the team, he is dedicated to advancing the field and enjoys every aspect of his work. Outside of his professional life, Tomislav is married, a proud father of a medical student, and the owner of Grgo, a North African gray parrot.

Dina Levačić

Research assistant, PhD student 

–

The field of mental health has always been an interest of Dina, through education, professional life and sport. She manages to combine it all in my PhD, “Health and psychological aspects of channel swimmers”. She is a lifelong swimmer, the youngest female to do Oceans7, crime shows addict and owner of 10kg furry cutie named Ogi. 

Mia Plenković

Research assistant and PhD student

School of Medicine, University of Split

As a Master of Nursing and current PhD student, Mia is deeply invested in enhancing youth mental health through clinical practice and research. Her focus is on understanding the challenges faced by young people with mental health issues and the experiences of their families. In her role as a research assistant, she performs assessments, provides continuous support to participants in Croatia, and guides them throughout the study. Passionate about bridging the gap between research and real-world impact, Mia is dedicated to improving youth’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being through collaborative and evidence-based approaches.

Project
For Partners
Contact Us
News