Ruth is a PhD candidate at the Erasmus SYNC lab. The title of her research project is ‘Teaching for Purpose: encouraging purpose development in adolescents through an integrated approach in classroom settings‘. Purpose is cultivated through a process of discovery and exploring unique interests, skills and values. One of the key developmental tasks during adolescence is developing this sense of purpose. The aim of Ruth’s research is to explore – together with students and teachers – how classrooms and schools can become an environment in which the development of purpose in adolescents is further encouraged.
Ruth has a background as a sociologist for developing countries, with a focus on education. Throughout her career she has been involved in working with beneficiaries to design projects and approaches that lead to positive youth development, mainly within educational settings. She has done this in various developing countries (Bangladesh, Vietnam, The Gambia) as well as in (international) schools.
What she thoroughly enjoys in these settings is the great emphasis on the involvement and participation of community members and beneficiaries, as well as the willingness to experiment and try new approaches in order to create a positive impact. In her work it has always been critical to bring in the most recent insights from research and connect it to the reality on the ground – an approach that aligns very well with that of the SYNC-lab.
Upon her return to The Netherlands Ruth started working as a school leader at the bilingual secondary school – Wolfert Tweetalig – in the centre of Rotterdam. In this position Ruth emphasised the need to develop an environment in which the socio-emotional development of young people serves as the foundation for a conducive learning environment. It is during this time – that Ruth developed the desire to take a deeper dive into this topic. From her own experience of teacher-training, as well as through research, it is clear that there is still a great gap between what is known about the development (and possibilities) of the adolescent brain and how this is translated into the training of our teachers and the practices in schools.
Ruth returned to teaching (Maatschappijleer & Global Politics) in the same school and approached the SYNC-lab to explore the opportunity of collaborating on a research project in which we can bridge the gap between knowledge and insights produced through research in adolescent neuroscience and the practice of education. Ruth managed to secure a grant to conduct PhD research ( the ‘NWO promotiebeurs voor leraren‘), whilst continuing to teach.
Eleni supports Erasmus Professor Eveline Crone in her mission to create positive social impact. The focus of my activities is on helping people achieve their goals, forging valuable connections, and improving processes with a keen eye for customer-centricity. My work involves organizing events, bringing people together, optimizing workflow and facilitating research initiatives within the Erasmus SYNC Lab.
Yolijn is the project coordinator for the Gravitation program ‘Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS)’. She facilitates the Steering Committee, oversees all functions, provides administration and weekly duties, schedules meetings, and facilitates communication between the Steering Committee and all applicants. Yolijn has a background in psychology and obtained her Master in Youth and Adolescent psychology at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2022. Her master thesis focused on the development of cognitive control in elementary schoolchildren with internalizing symptoms, and she obtained some experience in a large data program, the Generation R Study. Yolijn likes societal engagement and working with (young) people.
Kitty is the knowledge broker for the ‘Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS)’ project. Her goal is to bridge the gap between research and society, by facilitating the exchange of knowledge and orchestrating meetings to foster collaboration. She works closely with researchers from seven universities, assisting them in involving society in their work. Additionally, Kitty is responsible for managing the visibility of the GUTS project. This involves overseeing the social media strategy, maintaining the website, and managing the project’s newsletter. With a background in cognitive neuropsychology and a master’s in Youth Development & Social Change, she brings her experience and passion for youth participation, diversity, and inclusion to the team.
Simone Mulder is a Data Manager for the SYNC lab and the Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS) research program, with special interests in open science, health care, programming, and (meta)data visualizations. She coordinates data storage, processing, and sharing between the nine collaborating institutions that are part of the ten-year GUTS project. Simone is currently working on developing protocols and pipelines to ensure a flexible and accessible data infrastructure.
Simone obtained her research master’s degree in clinical and health psychology in 2021. She previously worked as a research data specialist for the Leiden-CID project, focussing on the implementation and development of the Leiden-CID data infrastructure. She also developed a long-term strategy to make data flexible and accessible to other researchers.
Julianna is a research assistant at the SYNC lab and is involved in the Gravitation program ‘Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS)’. As a research assistant, Caroline is primarily involved with planning and screening of participants and data collection including MRI scans, behavioural experiments, and questionnaires.
Julianna has a background is in psychology and neuroscience and is currently enrolled in a Research Master in Neuroscience & Cognition at Utrecht University. During this master’s she also conducted her internship at SYNC, under the Braintime study, where she helped with the last wave of data collection in young adults.
MoPriya is a research assistant involved in the Gravitation program ‘Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS)’. As a research assistant, MoPriya is primarily involved in EEG data collection.
MoPriya holds a Bachelor’s degree in cognitive Psychology and a Research Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. Throughout her studies, she deepened her interest in both conscious and subconscious social behaviour. During her masters, MoPriya worked as research intern on a project about sense of agency in the context of law enforcement, where she gained some experience with EEG data collection in a diverse sample.
Dimitri Mau Asam is Art director and graphic designer responsible for the entire branding of SYNC lab and the Young Xperts platform. In close collaboration with Glenn Windhouwer for the construction of the website SYNC lab and Young Xperts.
