Dennis van t EntView profile
Associate Professor
Dr. Dennis van t Ent is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences in the Department of Biological Psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). He also serves as the Director of the Psychology Bachelor’s Program at VU. His research focuses on the intersection of genetics, neuroimaging, and behavior, particularly investigating heritability of brain structure/function and environmental influences using the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). Education: Bachelor’s in Physics and Astronomy (specializing in Medical Physics) at University of Amsterdam PhD in Cognitive EEG Recordings from Erasmus University Rotterdam Postdoctoral training in Magnetoencephalography (MEG) at VU Medical Center Research Interests: Dr. van t Ent explores how genetic and environmental factors shape brain and behavior across the lifespan. Key areas include: Genetic architecture of brain morphology Epigenetic influences on brain aging CNVs and psychiatric disorders Longitudinal neuroimaging analysis His work integrates neuroimaging techniques (MRI, MEG) with behavioral data, emphasizing large-scale collaborative studies like ENIGMA. Articles Trends: Recent publications emphasize polygenic scores, brain age prediction algorithms, and CNV effects on brain structure. A focus on methodological advancements in neuroimaging harmonization and lifespan modeling is evident across studies. Awards: William Cobb Young Investigator Paper Award (2003) Teaching & Administration: Over 20 years of teaching experience, coordinating courses in: Biological and Cognitive Psychology Brain Imaging Genetics Leads curriculum modernization projects for statistical software adoption. Active in assessment quality assurance, serving in roles such as Psychology Examination Board chair and accreditation processes. Labs/Teams: Core member of the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR), ENIGMA Consortium, and Amsterdam Neuroscience. Previously contributed to editorial roles for Twin Research and Human Genetics and held memberships in academic organizations like Faculteit der Psychologie en Pedagogiek (VU).





