dr. V.E. (Vera) Heininga
Assistant Professor, youth resilience
Field/Discipline
Expertise
I study how positive emotions (e.g., anticipatory joy) and peer relationships help 12–25-year-olds remain resilient in the face of everyday stress. I supervise two PhD candidates and lead a team of junior researchers, support staff, and student assistants, partnering with drop-in centres and organizations such as PEERS, @Ease, JoinUs, and Ixta Noa to co-design youth-centered, evidence-based eHealth interventions. In addition, I develop AI-driven tools -such as chatbots - and investigate the extent to which AI can predict young people’s mental health from their social media photos.
Other positions
- - 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)
- Former Open Science Chief/ program leader of the RUG/UMCG
- Former Young Academic BSS member
Last modified:05 October 2025 08.38 a.m.