Daphne van de Bongardt

Prof. Dr. Daphne van de Bongardt is a Professor of Relational and Sexual Development, Education, and Health at Erasmus University Rotterdam's Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies. She leads the Erasmus Love Lab, an interdisciplinary research initiative focusing on intimate relationships, love, and sexuality. Her work emphasizes mixed-methods approaches, including longitudinal studies, interviews, and observational techniques. Key research interests include youth sexual development, psychosexual health interventions, and the role of social contexts like family, peers, and digital media.

Van de Bongardt has held significant administrative roles, including Department Director of DPECS and chair of the Young Erasmus Academy. She actively bridges academia and public discourse through media engagements (TEDx, Universiteit van Nederland) and advisory roles (Netherlands Sexual Wellbeing Foundation). Notable achievements include the Van Emde Boas-van Ussel Prize 2025 and grants from NWO and ZonMw for projects like Move Up! and T@CKLE, addressing sexual health and violence prevention among youth.

Her research explores topics such as parental influence on lying behavior, resilience in youth exposed to family violence, and predictors of problematic pornography use. The Erasmus Love Lab serves as a platform for transdisciplinary collaboration, emphasizing co-creation with young people to inform policy and education.