Suzanne van de Groep

Suzanne van de Groep is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam, within the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences. She is affiliated with the Erasmus SYNC Lab, where she conducts interdisciplinary research on adolescent development and prosocial behavior.

Her research focuses on understanding how prosocial behaviors—such as giving, helping, and cooperating—develop during adolescence, both behaviorally and neurally. She employs longitudinal neuroimaging (fMRI), experimental tasks, hormone assessments, and daily diaries to study how social contexts and individual differences influence generosity and wellbeing. Her recent projects include investigations into social temporal discounting, online prosocial actions, and the neural underpinnings of adolescent decision-making.

The trends in her recent publications (2024–2025) reveal a strong emphasis on developmental cognitive neuroscience, mental health, and the societal implications of adolescent brain development. Her work bridges fundamental neuroscience with policy and science communication, particularly through participatory and citizen science approaches.

Scientific Awards:

• NWA Science Communication Grant (2022)
• Best Poster Award 2020
• Best Societal Impact 2020
• DPECS Dragon’s Den Seed Fund (2021)
• NWA Jongerenchallenge (2020)
• UCLA Research Visit Grant

Suzanne has been involved in mentoring, talent development, and academic recognition initiatives. She previously led the Flux Society as Chair (2019–2021) and completed a visiting research position at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA (2019). Her current work emphasizes connecting science with societal impact, advising on participatory research frameworks, and securing grants for science communication. She is also involved in collaborative research networks and interdisciplinary teams focused on youth engagement and mental health.

Labs and Teams: She is affiliated with the Erasmus SYNC Lab, a research group dedicated to studying social development and neural connectivity in youth, and has contributed to the ERC-funded 'Brainlinks' longitudinal fMRI study.