Theo Bakker

Dr. Theo Bakker is an Assistant Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, holding appointments in the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences (Clinical Developmental Psychology), Amsterdam Public Health (APH - Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases and APH - Societal Participation & Health). His research focuses on autism spectrum disorder in higher education contexts, leveraging longitudinal studies and advanced statistical methods like propensity score weighting. He also serves as Lector at De Haagse Hogeschool and Board Member (Bestuurder) at Montessori Scholengemeenschap Amsterdam.

Research interests include student success trajectories for autistic populations, machine learning applications in educational analytics, and health behavior correlations. His work addresses systemic barriers faced by neurodiverse students and informs policy through large-scale data analysis. Recent publications explore predictive models for academic persistence and program-specific adaptation strategies.

Key collaborations involve institutions like the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) and academic networks focusing on societal participation and chronic disease management. Current projects emphasize translating research findings into actionable support frameworks for universities.