Michelle Achterberg

Dr. Michelle Achterberg is an Assistant Professor in Youth & Family Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Her work focuses on social development, particularly the neural and behavioral impacts of social rejection in youth. She leads the SO-REBEL Research team, exploring individual differences in resilience to social rejection through interdisciplinary methods integrating neuroscience, psychology, and pedagogy. Her research emphasizes societal impact via citizen science.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology
• Research Master’s degree in Neuroscience

Research Interests: Combining neuroimaging and behavioral studies to understand how social rejection affects mental health and resilience. Key topics include neural mechanisms (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex, DLPFC activation), genetic and environmental influences, and digital-age social dynamics. Her work bridges fundamental science with practical societal applications.

Awards & Recognition:

• Dutch Neurofederation PhD Award (2021)
• VNOP Dissertation Award (2021)
• Erasmus Research Prize (2022)
• KHMW JC. RUiglok Prize (2023)

Grants & Collaborations:

• Recipient of KNAW ter Meulen grant and Leiden University Fund for Columbia University collaboration
• Dragon's Den Seed Fund (2022)

Her interdisciplinary approach involves partnerships with societal stakeholders and institutions like the Brain and Development Lab.

Labs & Teams: Principal Investigator of SO-REBEL Research, collaborating with Eveline Crone’s team and international researchers such as Nim Tottenham (Columbia University).