Youth-GEMs | Enhancing Youth Mental Health and Well-being
Our researchers Tomislav Franic and Mia Plenkovic were present at the 16th Croatian Cochrane Symposium that was held on the 18th October at the University of Split, school of medicine.
The symposium on ‘Modern Perspectives on Mental Health: Integrating Evidence-Based Medicine for Effective Care’ hosted several interesting talks, workshops and posters. We’d like to share the poster on Youth-GEMs here.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Social Scientist, WP2 leader
HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht
Simona Karbouniaris is a social scientist and the work package leader for WP-2 at the HU University of applied sciences Utrecht, the Netherlands. Along with Jim van Os and Lisette van der Poel, she plays a key role in this project. Simona has lived experience and is passionate about involving young people in the project and learning from their ideas about early prevention, adverse childhood events, self-awareness, resilience, and mental variation/neurodiversity.
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.
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.
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.
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Neuroscientist and project manager
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Research assistant, PhD student
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
