Manja Engel

Dr. Manja Engel is an Assistant Professor in Experimental Psychology at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University. She is affiliated with the Dijkerman Helmholtz Institute and contributes to research on UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being. Her work focuses on body perception disorders, particularly in anorexia nervosa and body integrity identity disorder. She holds a doctoral degree from Utrecht University (2024) and has received awards including the Best Poster Presentation at the NAE Annual Conference (2020) and the Peter G. Swanborn Prize for Master's Thesis (2016).

• Education: PhD in Experimental Psychology (2024, Utrecht University)
• Research Interests: Body image disturbance, eating disorders, sensory perception, multisensory integration, and agency perception

Her research explores how perceptual and cognitive processes impact body image in clinical populations. Recent studies investigate effects of response timing on body size estimation, tactile feedback mechanisms in anorexia nervosa, and post-treatment body representation disturbances. She actively participates in academic activities, including invited talks on recovery processes and eating disorder management.

• Awards:
  • Best Poster Presentation NAE (2020)
  • Peter G. Swanborn Prize (2016)

Engel collaborates internationally and leads the Dijkerman Helmholtz Institute's body perception research group. Her work bridges clinical psychology with neuroscience to develop innovative therapeutic approaches.