dr. V.E. (Vera) Heininga

I am an Interdisciplinary Assistant Professor of Resilience in the Pedagogy Department’s Youth Studies research group, where I investigate how peer dynamics and daily reward processes influence the well-being of 12–25-year-olds.

My research focuses on positive emotions, reward anticipation, and reward learning in everyday contexts, conducted through open-science and citizen-science collaborations with young people. I supervise two PhD students and lead a team of junior researchers, support staff and student assistants, partnering with drop-in centres and organisations such as PEERS, @Ease, JoinUs and Ixta Noa to co-design youth-centred, evidence-based eHealth interventions. Additionally, I develop AI-driven tools - such as chatbots and social-media photo analysis - to predict and support youth mental health.

Expertise: Youths' mental health and well-being, resilience in youth, depressive symptoms, anhedonia, reward functioning in daily life, Experience-sampling (ESM)/ Ecological momentary assessment (EMA), Open Science

- Member of the PedOn ethical committee
- Steering group member of the UG Open Science Program
- Board member Open Science Community Groningen (OSCG)
- Board member Open Science Communities NL (OSC-NL)