Camiel van der Laan

Camiel van der Laan serves as a Visiting Fellow at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences in the Department of Biological Psychology. He is also affiliated with APH - Mental Health, contributing to research at the intersection of genetics and psychological disorders.

His research primarily focuses on the genetic underpinnings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), aggression, and broader psychopathology. Dr. van der Laan employs advanced methodologies including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), polygenic scoring, and epigenetic analysis to understand how genetic factors influence behavioral outcomes from infancy through adulthood. His work examines both direct genetic effects and gene-environment interactions in the development of mental health conditions.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on the connections between early developmental factors (particularly vocabulary development in infancy), genetic predispositions, and the emergence of ADHD and related cognitive traits. His research on aggression investigates both familial clustering patterns and the molecular mechanisms underlying aggressive behaviors.

Dr. van der Laan maintains active collaborations with prominent researchers including Boomsma, Bartels, and others in the Netherlands and internationally, as evidenced by his co-authored publications in high-impact journals such as Biological Psychiatry and Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.