Marit Sijbrandij is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Department of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology at VU University [Vrije Universiteit], Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center. Her areas of research are prevention, (early) interventions and public mental health interventions for mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in populations exposed to trauma and adversities, including refugee populations and populations in low- and middle-income countries. She has completed trials evaluating prevention and early intervention strategies in the acute aftermath of trauma and adversities for prevention of common mental health symptoms including posttraumatic disorder (PTSD). Other research involves the prevalence and predictors of common mental disorders, including PTSD among trauma-affected populations. 

In ADVANCE, Marit serves as work package leader and principal investigator of WP3 (Working Adults) together with Mark van Vugt

Dr. Anke Witteveen is a clinically trained healthcare psychologist and epidemiologist working as Assistant Professor at the Department of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology at VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She studies the prevalence, determinants, and neurobiological correlates of common mental disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder) and the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions in at risk populations such as migrants and women in the perinatal period. Anke is actively involved in national and international associations in the field of trauma and (forced) migration. In ADVANCE, Anke is one of the supervisors of the PhD candidates in Work Package 3 (Working Adults).

Amber Brizar is a PhD Candidate in Organizational Psychology at VU Amsterdam with an interdisciplinary background in Business Administration (MSc) and Communication and Information Studies (MA). Before starting a career in academics, she gained valuable experience working in various start- and scale-ups as both an employee and manager. In her current role in ADVANCE, she will be focusing on assessing the efficacy of the WHO's Manager Training for Mental Health in enhancing manager confidence to address employees' mental health concerns, thereby fostering overall well-being within the workplace.

Mark van Vugt is professor of evolutionary psychology, work and organizational psychology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and director of the Amsterdam Leadership Lab.  He is also a research fellow at the University of Oxford. Mark studies work and organizational processes from an evolutionary perspective. His main research interests include leadership, power, and cooperation and he applies methods from psychology, cognitive neuroscience, economics and evolutionary biology in his research. He has also a keen interest in using behavioral science to understand pressing organizational issues such as digitalization and inclusive leadership. Mark has published over 200 articles in science journals such as Nature, Current Biology, Proceedings of the Royal Society-B, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP), Psychological Science, American Psychologist, and Academy of Management Review.  He is former Editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and current Senior Editor at the Leadership Quarterly. He has authored and co-authored various trade and popular science books such as “Naturally Selected: The Evolutionary Science of Leadership, Mismatch and recently, FC Sapiens (about the relationship between football and war). Mark has received numerous research grants from national and international funding agencies in the public and private sector to fund his research (including a recent large EU/Horizon-grant). He is a regular contributor to national and international media, and gained several prizes for his contributions to science and science communication (including a recent award from the Alexander-von-Humboldt foundation for his lifetime academic achievements).

Dr. Sanne Feenstra is an Assistant Professor in Organizational Psychology at VU Amsterdam and content director of the Amsterdam Leadership Lab. She completed her PhD thesis (entitled Power in Organizational Life: An investigation of how stable and unstable power affect important organizational leadership outcomes) in 2020 at the University of Groningen. Her research focuses on leadership, power, and the impostor phenomenon. Sanne has published her research in journals such as Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes and Applied Psychology: An International Review and her research is regularly quoted in the press and various media outlets.

Catalin Gherdan is a PhD candidate at Vrije University Amsterdam. Drawing from his background in clinical psychology, his focus lies in preventing mental health problems and contributing to the creation of a mentally healthier community. He is committed to exploring potential strategies for early intervention and aiming to contribute to the promotion of well-being through his research.