Aleksandrina Skvortsova

Dr. Aleksandrina Skvortsova is an Assistant Professor at Leiden University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, specializing in the Health, Medical and Neuropsychology unit. Her research examines psychological factors in health outcomes, with particular focus on placebo/nocebo effects and healthcare communication.

Education includes:

• PhD in Psychology, Leiden University (2015-2020)
• Research Master in Behavioural Sciences, Radboud University (2013-2015)

Her research explores placebo/nocebo mechanisms in metabolic regulation, pain perception, and digital health interventions. She investigates how cognitive expectations influence physiological responses and develops behavioral interventions for chronic conditions. A key focus is optimizing medical communication to improve treatment outcomes.

Recent publications demonstrate strong emphasis on experimental psychophysiology, with consistent themes in clinical trials design, stress responses, and technology-enhanced behavioral interventions across metabolic and neurological domains.

Awards and recognitions:

• LUF grant for Mind over Meal (2024)
• Rubicon grant for pain research (2020)

She mentors bachelor and master students in psychology and leads projects at the Center for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies. Additional collaborations include pandemic preparedness research with Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and grant writing for Health & Help NGO.

She co-founded the Center for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies and contributes to the Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training (FORRT), emphasizing open science practices in social psychology research.