Affiliation: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Oslo
Keywords: Educational genetics, Neurodevelopmental conditions, Mental health, Twins, Intergenerational transmission, Learning differences, Psychiatric genetics, Social-science genetics
Full profile: Why do neurodevelopmental conditions and educational outcomes run in families? This question drives the research of Dr Elsje van Bergen, an Associate Professor at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam and Visiting Professor at the University of Oslo. She leads an interdisciplinary team working at the intersection of genetics, psychology, psychiatry, education, and public health.
Elsje’s research investigates why some children find learning easier than others, and how genes and environments shape these outcomes across development. Her work spans language, reading, and mathematics, as well as neurodevelopmental conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and autism. By disentangling genetic inheritance from environmental influences, her team aims to better understand the causes and consequences of learning differences, and how these relate to mental health. This work has important implications for educational practice, health interventions, and policy.
She currently holds several prestigious personal grants, including an ERC Starting Grant, NWO VIDI Talent Grant, and a Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship, and has previously been awarded the Rubicon and VENI Talent Grants. Her research has appeared in leading journals including Nature Human Behaviour, Nature Mental Health, and Psychological Science. Elsje has received multiple early- and mid-career awards, including from the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences.
At VU Amsterdam, she works in the Department of Biological Psychology, home to the Netherlands Twin Register, and is affiliated with LEARN! and Amsterdam Public Health. She earned her PhD in Child Development and Education from the University of Amsterdam (2013), and held postdoctoral fellowships in Developmental Psychology at the University of Oxford (2012-2015).
Beyond research, Elsje is committed to interdisciplinarity, science communication, and supporting early-career researchers. As a member of the Amsterdam Young Academy (2020–2024), she co-led interdisciplinarity initiatives, co-authored the AYA Interdisciplinarity Guide, advised the university board on strategic planning, and spoke at public events. She teaches science communication to MSc and PhD students, and regularly shares findings in accessible formats.
Her academic journey has taken her to Latvia, Scotland, England, Switzerland, and Norway, in roles ranging from exchange student to visiting professor. She has learned several European languages and describes herself as having “a truly European heart.” Outside work, she enjoys acrobatics, yoga, and pole sport, and spending time with her husband and two young children.