In 2025, I obtained my Master of Science in Educational Sciences, with a specialization in Clinical Orthopedagogy and Disability Studies at Ghent University. During my six month clinical internship at the University Hospital Ghent, I worked on the Specialist Pediatric Ward and within the child neurology department. This experience confronted me with the complexity of chronic conditions and pain: not only the medical challenges, but also the psychological dimensions that influence how individuals cope with them. It was here that my interest grew in how psychological constructs are defined and measured, and how these influence both research and clinical practice.
In October 2025, I joined the Ghent Health Psychology Lab as a PhD student within the FWO project “Knowing What We Are Talking About.” This doctoral research, supervised by Prof. Dr. Geert Crombez and Dr. Annick De Paepe, aims to improve the conceptualization and measurement of psychological constructs in the context of chronic pain. The project involves identifying and defining psychological core concepts within the biopsychosocial model of chronic pain and analyzing and evaluating existing self-report instruments. A central ambition of the project is to contribute to a more precise and valid ontology of psychological concepts. During my PhD, I will work closely together with Dr. Maya Braun, who works as a post-doc on the project.
Research Interests:
Health psychology
Chronic pain
Psychosocial factors influencing pain
Development and validation of self-report instruments
