Nicole Lucassen

Nicole Lucassen is an Associate Professor and Youth and Family Endowed Professor at the Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Her professorship, funded by the City of Rotterdam and the National Fund Children’s Aid, is part of the Research Program on Child Poverty, which she co-leads. She conducts systemic research on parenting, child development, and interventions for children and youth growing up in poverty.

Research Interests: Nicole Lucassen's research centers on child and family development within the context of poverty and urban diversity. She employs a systems approach, examining how family, school, and neighborhood interact to influence child outcomes. Her work emphasizes prevention and intervention strategies, resilience, and the role of social support. She utilizes longitudinal, observational, and interventive study designs, including single-case studies, and actively collaborates with parents, youth, professionals, and policymakers.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on developmental psychology, public health, and social policy, particularly in understanding the long-term effects of economic pressure, health access, and social systems on child and adolescent well-being. She has contributed to high-impact journals such as Developmental Psychology and Journal of Adolescence.

Scientific Awards:

• NVO-thesisprijs Orthopedagogiek (2020)
• Fulbright Grant (2009)

Advising and Grants: Nicole Lucassen has supervised academic work, including doctoral theses, and is involved in major research initiatives such as the Generation R Study. Her endowed professorship represents significant external funding from public and nonprofit sectors, enabling interdisciplinary collaboration between science, policy, and practice.

Labs and Teams: She is a key member of the Research Program on Child Poverty, collaborating with researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam and Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, including Dr. Mariëtte Lusse. Her work integrates data from large-scale cohort studies and emphasizes knowledge transfer to improve family support systems.