At the Amsterdam University Medical Center, I direct a research group investigating peripartum brain plasticity. The primary focus of my research group is to study the impact of pregnancy on the brain.
My previous research work includes studies of human and rodent brain plasticity in response to various internal and external triggers, reflecting an interest in the capacity of the brain to change. In the last decade, I have specialized in peripartum brain plasticity and the study of how pregnancy and motherhood alter a woman’s brain.
Animal studies have demonstrated a remarkable reproduction-related neural plasticity, but the impact of pregnancy on the human brain has long remained a virtually unstudied territory. We have previously shown for the first time that pregnancy renders changes in the grey matter structure of the human brain. More recently, we have also demonstrated that becoming a mother involves changes in brain function.
By means of prospective pre-conception cohort studies, we investigate how pregnancy changes different aspects of brain anatomy, microstructure, metabolism and activity. In addition, we examine the biological (e.g. hormones, genetics, the microbiome) and other factors (e.g. stress, sleep, psychosocial aspects) that drive these changes and the functional implications for the mother-infant dyad, for instance regarding maternal mental health.
Our work on this topic has primarily been supported by the European Research Council (ERC), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Brain and Behavior Foundation. For more information or media coverage on our studies and findings, see www.pregnancyandthebrain.com