Fenne Smits

Dr. Fenne Smits is a Visiting Researcher at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, specifically within the Experimental Psychology department. She is affiliated with the Helmholtz Institute and works under the Chair Schutter.

Her research focuses on the application of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, particularly transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), in understanding and treating stress-related conditions. Her work has a strong emphasis on military populations, examining how brain stimulation affects stress regulation, emotional working memory, PTSD symptoms, and anxiety. Dr. Smits employs various research methodologies including randomized controlled trials, mixed methods approaches, and narrative reviews to investigate the efficacy and acceptability of tDCS interventions.

Dr. Smits' publications demonstrate consistent expertise in neuromodulation and psychological stress responses, with her work appearing in journals such as Neuromodulation, International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, Psychological Medicine, BMC Psychiatry, and Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Her research shows increasing citation impact, with her 2020 article on emotional stress reactivity receiving 37 citation indexes.

Her scientific contributions have garnered attention beyond academic circles, with mentions in news media, blog posts, and significant readership on academic platforms like Mendeley. Dr. Smits frequently collaborates with researchers including Geuze, Schutter, van Honk, de Kort, and Gladwin, indicating her participation in a well-established research group focused on the psychological and neurological aspects of stress and brain stimulation.