dr. V.E. (Vera) Heininga
Assistant Professor, youth resilienceShe/ her
Field/Discipline
Expertise
I study how young people (12-25) become more resilient in everyday life. My work examines not only how they cope with stress and adversity, but also how they experience positive moments - how they look forward to them (anticipatory joy), enjoy them, and sustain positive affect. A central interest is the influence of friendships and peer relationships.
With great pleasure, I supervise two PhD candidates, seven Master’s students, and six Bachelor’s students, alongside a growing team of (currently) five junior researchers, support staff, and student assistants. Together with partners such as Jimmy’s and walk-in centres and organisations including PEERS, @Ease, JoinUs, and Ixta Noa, we work with young people to build towards youth-centred, evidence-based eHealth interventions that align with young people’s lived experience.
In addition, I develop AI-supported tools, such as chatbots, and investigate whether AI can help identify early signals of mental health difficulties - for example, by detecting patterns in the photos young people share on social media - so that young people can access timely, appropriate support.
With great pleasure, I supervise two PhD candidates, seven Master’s students, and six Bachelor’s students, alongside a growing team of (currently) five junior researchers, support staff, and student assistants. Together with partners such as Jimmy’s and walk-in centres and organisations including PEERS, @Ease, JoinUs, and Ixta Noa, we work with young people to build towards youth-centred, evidence-based eHealth interventions that align with young people’s lived experience.
In addition, I develop AI-supported tools, such as chatbots, and investigate whether AI can help identify early signals of mental health difficulties - for example, by detecting patterns in the photos young people share on social media - so that young people can access timely, appropriate support.
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:27 December 2025 10.17 a.m.