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Alicia ALLEGRI is a Professor and educational researcher with expertise in Educational Sciences, currently affiliated with the Institute of School Administration (INAS). She holds a bachelor's degree in primary school teaching (2014) and a Master's degree in Educational Sciences (2017), with additional certification in Didactics of Philosophy and Citizenship (2018). Her professional experience includes teaching since 2017 across multiple educational settings: mainstream primary education, special primary education, and special secondary education. At INAS, where she has conducted research since September 2019, her work focuses on developing and validating educational tools and devices for geography education. Dr. Allegri's research examines learning regulation mechanisms, cognitive development, and educational methodologies. Her work integrates cognitive, social, and affective components of learning, with particular attention to self-regulatory strategies in educational contexts. She has developed expertise in 3D-2D representation techniques for educational games and the study of abstraction processes in student learning. Her research portfolio includes studies on decentering processes in children and adolescents, utilizing adapted educational tools like the Animo-déclic® game. Currently, her work centers on supporting teachers through the creation of validated educational resources for geography instruction. Dr. Allegri's professional development includes participation in research projects during her Master's program focused on educational psychology and learning mechanisms, establishing her foundation in evidence-based educational practices.

• Educational Sciences
• Philosophy and Citizenship Education
• Geography Education
• +5 more

Imke Baetens is a Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), affiliated with the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and the Department of Psychology. Her research focuses on self-injurious behavior, mental health in adolescents and older adults, and resilience-building interventions. She leads multiple projects addressing mental health challenges in schools, elderly populations, and marginalized groups like transgender individuals. Key initiatives include the PRISM network for mental health innovations and the SMARTS project enhancing resilience through schools. Baetens collaborates internationally, with studies on cross-national self-injury trends and personality risk factors for self-harm in older adults. She actively engages in public discourse on mental health via media contributions and hosts academic visitors to advance collaborative research. Education: Not explicitly stated in text; inferred doctoral training via research roles. Research interests prioritize bridging clinical practice and population health, with a focus on preventive mental health strategies. Over 97 publications since 2009 reflect her expertise in psychology, gerontology, and public health. Notable datasets include longitudinal studies on self-harm risk and cross-country comparisons of mental health interventions. Media engagements highlight her role as a public mental health expert, addressing topics like pandemic impacts on youth and elderly self-harm trends. She supervises numerous academic works, though specific student names are not listed.

• Self-Injurious Behavior
• Mental Health
• Adolescent Psychology
• +3 more

Professor Mieke Van Houtte, affiliated with the University of Ghent, is a leading scholar in educational sociology with a focus on gender dynamics , tracking systems , and student diversity . Her research spans secondary education , grade retention , and inclusive practices , often employing multilevel analysis to address Belgian educational challenges. PhD Promotions: Lennart Van Eycken (2024), Lorenz Dekeyser (2022), Timo Van Canegem (2022), Emma Degroote (2021) Key Collaborators: Jannick Demanet, Peter Stevens, Alexis Dewaele Her work explores gender role attitudes , school misconduct , and teachability perceptions , linking them to structural factors like school social composition and multilingualism . Recent articles emphasize mental health in gender-minority youth and preschool gender socialization . Prominent themes in her publications include academic achievement , tracking effects , and educational inequality . She has authored books like Sociologen over onderwijs and Zichtbaarheid- en discriminatiemanagement bij holebi-jongeren , and frequently contributes to journals such as American Educational Research Journal and European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry .

• Education
• Student Diversity
• Gender Studies
• +13 more

Hilde Colpin serves as a Full Professor in the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at KU Leuven, where she leads the School Psychology and Development in Context research unit. She holds dual affiliations with the KU Leuven Institute for Child and Youth (LC&Y) and the KU Leuven Institute for Educational Research (LIVO), and serves on the PPW Faculty Council, Bachelor Psychology Program Committee, and Master Psychology Program Committee. Her research investigates the interplay between teacher-student and peer relationships within school contexts and their impact on children's social-emotional development and mental health. Specializing in identity-based bullying prevention and interventions for vulnerable youth—including children with refugee and migration backgrounds—she develops evidence-based frameworks for collaborative family-school partnerships. Her work bridges developmental theory with practical classroom applications. Her 2025 publications reveal a cohesive focus on relational dynamics in educational settings, with recurring themes of teacher connective practices, bullying intervention efficacy, and adolescent mental health outcomes. These works employ mixed-methods approaches across diverse age groups and school systems, consistently emphasizing the dual influence of teachers and peers on student well-being. Key outputs include validated measurement tools like the TAP-S questionnaire and the CONNECTIONS in CLASS research report for schools. Professor Colpin currently directs nine major research projects as promoter or co-promoter, including 'Primary Prejudice' (addressing identity-based bullying, 2023-2027) and 'CONNECTIES in the CLASS' (examining relationship dynamics, 2022-2026). She mentors students through courses such as 'Prevention: Children and Youth' and clinical practicum supervision in educational psychology. She spearheads the CONNECTIONS in CLASS (CiC) research initiative, which investigates how teacher-student and peer relationships interact to shape adolescents' mental health. This program produces actionable tools for educators and informs policy through its school-based implementation framework.

• Educational Psychology
• School Psychology
• Child and Adolescent Development
• +5 more

Laura Vandenbosch is a Senior Lecturer at KU Leuven's Faculty of Social Sciences , actively leading the Lab for Media Psychology (OG) . She contributes to interdisciplinary research networks like DigiSoc , LC&Y , and Leuven One Health , with formal university affiliations confirmed through ORCID (0000-0001-6834-8386). Key research themes: digital media effects on adolescent mental health, body image, political identity, and social media literacy Current projects focus on topics like positive body image in preadolescence , influencer morality , and digital intimacy literacy Her 2025 publications include multi-method studies on appearance-focused social media activity, AI chatbot interactions, and political socialization through non-political figures Advises PhD candidates through promotor roles in diverse media psychology research areas

• Media Psychology
• Social Media Effects
• Adolescent Development
• +5 more

Martijn Van Heel is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Brussels University, affiliated with the Consultation Center. He specializes in adolescent mental health, focusing on parenting practices, emotion regulation, and non-suicidal self-injury. His work integrates cross-cultural comparisons and digital media's impact on youth development. He leads and co-leads several projects, including the PRISM network (Psychology, Research, and Innovations for Mental Health) and the SMARTS initiative (Strengthening Mental health and Resilience Through Schools). He also contributed to the 'Good Game' project promoting mental health in esports and research on online communication's effects on adolescents. Van Heel’s research emphasizes cultural differences in parenting, the role of digital platforms in mental health, and developing school-based interventions. His recent studies include benchmarking mindfulness therapies, analyzing emotion regulation across Belgium and Iran, and evaluating the Psychological Referral Optimization (PRO) app for adolescent mental health screening. He collaborates extensively with researchers in Iran, Vietnam, Tanzania, and South Africa, exploring topics like aggression norms, attachment styles, and pandemic impacts on self-injury. His work is disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and international conferences, with notable contributions to Current Psychology and Cognitive Therapy and Research .

• Adolescent Mental Health
• Parenting Practices
• Emotion Regulation
• +4 more

Karine Charry is a Professor at the Louvain School of Management (LSM) within the University of Louvain (UCLouvain), affiliated with the Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations (LouRIM) . Her work focuses on behavioral responses to marketing strategies in health and sustainability contexts. Email: karine.charry@uclouvain.be Office: Building B, Floor 02, Office B207, Chaussée de Binche 151, 7000 Mons Research Interests: Behavioral impact of sustainability labels and nudges Effectiveness of environmental NGO campaigns Role of social media influencers in dietary and ecological behaviors Prosocial communication via platforms like Twitter Co-branding and packaging strategies for child-targeted products Key Article Trends (2006-2025): Her publications span food marketing ethics, social media dynamics, threat appeals in youth campaigns, gamification for health apps, and sustainability labeling. Notably, she investigates how social norms and digital engagement shape pro-environmental and healthy eating behaviors in children and adolescents.

• Sustainable Consumption
• Social Media Marketing
• Child Nutrition
• +3 more

Kelly Ickmans is a Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel's Department of Human Physiology and Anatomy, specializing in pain research. She leads interdisciplinary projects addressing chronic pain mechanisms, pediatric pain management, and the neuromusculoskeletal consequences of conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and hypermobility disorders. Her work integrates clinical research, education, and translational approaches to improve rehabilitation outcomes. Research Focus: Chronic pain pathophysiology, central sensitization, exercise interventions, and pain education for pediatric and adult populations. She has pioneered studies on adrenergic dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis and developed pain science education protocols for cancer survivors. Collaborations: Active in Belgium and internationally, with projects funded by FWO and university grants. Her teams collaborate across physical therapy, neurology, and pediatrics to address comorbidities like pain-sleep disturbances in childhood cancer survivors. Grants & Projects: 10+ active/funded projects including: Epigenetic mechanisms of exercise-induced pain (2024-2028) Pain education for pediatric cancer survivors (PANACEA Study) Rehabilitation paradigms for functional abdominal pain disorders Advising: Supervises 34+ theses and doctoral projects, focusing on clinical research and translational medicine.

• Pain Medicine
• Chronic Pain
• Central Nervous System Sensitization
• +7 more

Prof. Jannick Demanet is a faculty member at Ghent University , Department of Sociology. His research focuses on education , social inequality , school misconduct , tracking systems , and student engagement , often employing multilevel analysis and cross-national research . Co-authored 15+ peer-reviewed articles (2012–2025) in journals like Social Psychology of Education , Comparative Education Review , and British Educational Research Journal . Advises PhDs including Lennart Van Eycken (2024), Timo Van Canegem (2022), and Isis Vandelannote (2021). Research Themes: • Grade retention's impact on student behavior , belonging , and higher education trajectories . • School composition effects on teacher expectations , self-efficacy , and ethnic integration . • Tracking systems and social mobility in Flemish and European contexts. Recent Article Trends: • 2023–2025 work emphasizes longitudinal effects of retention, multicontextual influences on delinquency, and cross-cultural tolerance among retained students. • Collaborates with Mieke Van Houtte , Isis Vandelannote , and Timo Van Canegem on educational equity and student wellbeing .

• Education
• Social Inequality
• School Misconduct
• +4 more

Laurence Claes is a Professor and Head of Clinical Psychology at KU Leuven's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. His academic career spans multiple research domains with a focus on psychopathology, particularly eating disorders and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), examined through the lens of identity formation processes. He maintains strong affiliations with the LC&Y - KU Leuven Institute for Child and Youth and serves on several important committees including the Faculty Doctoral Committee for Psychology and Educational Sciences as ombudswoman for KU Leuven staff. Professor Claes' research primarily investigates the complex relationship between identity development and various forms of psychopathology, with special attention to adolescents and emerging adults. His work consistently demonstrates how identity processes serve as both risk and protective factors across multiple clinical presentations. He employs diverse methodologies including longitudinal studies, ecological momentary assessment, and both community and clinical samples to examine these relationships. Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent thematic patterns across his work. His research shows strong connections between identity functioning and eating disorders, non-suicidal self-injury, body image concerns, and personality pathology. He frequently examines how identity processes mediate relationships between other psychological constructs and clinical outcomes. His work spans multiple contexts including cancer survivorship, athletic performance, and digital environments. Professor Claes actively supervises numerous doctoral candidates and collaborates extensively with researchers both within KU Leuven (particularly with Koen Luyckx) and internationally. His work appears in high-impact journals across psychology, psychiatry, and related fields, demonstrating the transdisciplinary nature of his research. His teaching responsibilities include courses on clinical diagnostics for adults and the elderly (P0V88A, P0X60A), psychological interventions (P0W42A, P0N41B), single-case research (P0X93A), and clinical psychology practicum (P0Y05A, P0W57A, P0Y08A), indicating his commitment to both research and clinical training.

• Psychopathology
• Eating Disorders
• Non-suicidal Self-injury
• +5 more

Marina Danckaerts is a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at KU Leuven, affiliated with the Department of Neuroscience and active in the field of Developmental Psychiatry and ADHD research. Her research focuses on: Behavioral and emotional responses in ADHD Sleep disorders and interventions for adolescents with ADHD Attachment theory and instrumental learning in neurodevelopmental conditions Youth mental health service design Invisible disability representation in technology Post-trauma rehabilitation for refugee youth Recent publications highlight her work on: Sleep hygiene and cognitive-behavioral interventions for ADHD adolescents Behavioral persistence and reinforcement mechanisms in ADHD Comparative analysis of youth and professional perspectives on mental health services Game design applications for ADHD teenagers Impact of dopamine pathways on ADHD-attachment controversies She serves as: Co-promotor in 8 active research projects (2024-2030) Promotor for refugee family mental health research Member of KU Leuven Brain Institute (LBI) and Institute for Child and Youth (LC&Y) Participant in criminological sciences councils and psychology program committees Teaching contributions: Course coordinator for multiple child psychiatry modules (codes E0J45A, E0CR3A, etc.) Focus on evidence-based medicine, communication skills, and clinical practice in youth psychiatry

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• ADHD
• Developmental Psychiatry
• +5 more

Tom DE LEYN is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at Hasselt University's School of Social Sciences, where he contributes to the Capacity group Social Sciences and the Research group Research for Digitalisation, Diversity and Democracy. His work bridges media studies, sociology, and digital anthropology with a focus on youth experiences in technology-mediated environments. Based at Campus Hasselt in the Faculty of Law building, he actively engages in interdisciplinary research examining the societal implications of digital transformation. His research centers on Digital Media, Media and Communication, and the Sociology of Youth, with particular emphasis on Privacy and Surveillance dynamics across diverse cultural contexts. He investigates how children, adolescents, and ethno-religious minorities navigate digital spaces, parental mediation, and mobile technologies through qualitative and ethnographic approaches. Key themes include digital disconnection practices, intimate surveillance, and the socio-cultural construction of technology use, often comparing Global North and South contexts like Belgium and Liberia. Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal a cohesive trajectory examining digital harms assessment scales, children's perspectives on surveillance, and the paradoxes of digital disconnection policies. His work consistently employs innovative methodologies like the 360° interview technique while addressing critical gaps in understanding racial, gendered, and age-based digital inequalities. This scholarship demonstrates strong thematic continuity across media sociology, youth studies, and critical technology assessment. No scientific awards were mentioned in available sources. Tom DE LEYN actively contributes to academic training as a coordinating lecturer for courses including Media and Communication Studies I, Digital Media and Civil Society, and Qualitative Research Methods. He currently leads the 'Environmental analysis digital skills' research project (2025) focused on community service learning contexts, demonstrating practical engagement with digital inclusion initiatives. Within Hasselt University's research ecosystem, he operates through the Research group Research for Digitalisation, Diversity and Democracy, which examines technology's societal impacts through lenses of diversity, democratic processes, and digital transformation. This affiliation positions his work at the intersection of theoretical innovation and real-world policy relevance, particularly regarding youth digital rights and inclusive technology design.

• Digital Media
• Media and Communication
• Sociology of Youth
• +5 more

Kevin De Pauw is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). He actively contributes to 12 research projects with a focus on robotics, mental fatigue, brain physiology, and sports physiotherapy. Current projects include Brubotics, APEX, and TBrainBoost Collaboration network spans Belgium, Germany, and Netherlands Key research themes: Mental Fatigue (100%), Robotics (100%), and Prosthetics (52%) Research Interests: His work explores the intersection of brain physiology, fatigue mechanisms, and robotics applications in rehabilitation. He develops predictive musculoskeletal simulations and investigates inter-limb asymmetry in athletes. Article Trends: Recent publications show increasing focus on robot-assisted rehabilitation , brain neuroplasticity , and mental fatigue quantification . Research combines AI-driven wearable robotics with neurophysiological monitoring . Student Supervision: He mentors Master's students in topics related to Lower limb asymmetry analysis Adolescent cognition-fitness relationships Exoskeleton interface design Laboratory Affiliation: Member of Brubotics and TBrainBoost teams at VUB, working on sustainable human-centered robotics and neurocirculation enhancement technologies.

• Mental Fatigue
• Human Physiology
• Sports Physiotherapy
• +6 more

Katrijn Brenning is a Professor at Ghent University, focusing on developmental psychology, self-determination theory, and adolescent mental health. Her research explores how psychological need satisfaction and emotion regulation influence adolescent well-being, parenting dynamics, and psychopathology. Key Research Areas: Self-determination theory, adolescence, attachment, depressive symptoms, autonomy support, emotion regulation, parenting Notable Collaborations: Bart Soenens, Maarten Vansteenkiste, Barbara De Clercq, Nele Laporte Her recent work (2022–2024) examines need crafting in educational and familial contexts during stress (e.g., pandemics), linking these to mental health outcomes. She also investigates parental burnout and emotion regulation in work-family conflicts. Dr. Brenning supervises PhD candidates such as Daphne van den Bogaard (2024) and Nele Laporte (2022), contributing to interventions for optimizing adolescent well-being. While no scientific awards are explicitly listed, her extensive co-authorship network and longitudinal studies highlight her impact in developmental and clinical psychology.

• Developmental Psychology
• Self-Determination Theory
• Attachment
• +4 more

Dr. Ann DeSmet is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at Ghent University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. With a PhD completed in 2015 on adolescent bystander behavior in cyberbullying and serious digital games for health promotion, she has established herself as a leading researcher in digital health interventions for adolescent populations. Her research primarily focuses on cyberbullying prevention and physical activity promotion through innovative digital approaches. Dr. DeSmet specializes in developing and evaluating serious games, exergames, and mobile health applications designed to encourage healthy behaviors among youth. Her work examines user engagement, behavior change techniques, and the effectiveness of digital interventions across diverse adolescent populations. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trajectory in evaluating digital health tools, with particular emphasis on validation studies for activity trackers, systematic reviews of serious games, and cluster-randomized controlled trials of narrative-driven exergames. Her research spans multiple disciplines including public health, behavioral science, computer science, and psychology, demonstrating interdisciplinary approach to health promotion. Dr. DeSmet has supervised PhD students including Ayla Schwarz (2019) and Carmen Peuters (2022), indicating her active role in mentoring the next generation of researchers. She maintains extensive collaborations with colleagues at Ghent University, particularly with Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij (45 co-authored publications), Greet Cardon (18), and Geert Crombez (11). Her research has been supported through multiple projects including the SmartLife initiative, which combines exergames and smart textiles to promote energy-related behaviors among adolescents. She has also contributed to large-scale international studies examining adolescent health behaviors across multiple countries.

• Cyberbullying
• Physical Activity
• Health Promotion
• +7 more