{"id":4460,"date":"2015-08-23T19:38:42","date_gmt":"2015-08-23T17:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.evanbergen.com\/?page_id=4460"},"modified":"2026-04-04T17:00:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:00:57","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.evanbergen.com\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Research Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why do educational outcomes and neurodevelopmental conditions run in families?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am an Associate Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Programme Chair of Educational Neuroscience at LEARN!, and Visiting Professor at the University of Oslo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I lead research on why children differ in learning and development, and why educational outcomes and neurodevelopmental conditions cluster within families. My work focuses on how genetic and environmental factors jointly shape these differences across development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key aim of my research is to distinguish causal environmental effects from genetic confounding. For example, children whose parents read to them more often tend to have better language and literacy outcomes, but this association may partly reflect shared genetic influences. Using genetically informed designs\u2014including family-based and intergenerational approaches, combined with large-scale cohort data and measured DNA\u2014I investigate how these mechanisms operate across development and across generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My research spans language, reading, and mathematics, as well as neurodevelopmental conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and autism, and their links with mental health. This work has implications for how we design effective educational and mental health interventions, and for policies aimed at reducing inequality in learning outcomes. A short video introduction to my research is available here<\/a> and my publications can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My research is supported by competitive personal grants, including an ERC Starting Grant, a Jacobs Foundation Fellowship, and NWO Rubicon, Veni, and Vidi Talent Grants. I work with an interdisciplinary team of PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and students across institutions.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I lead a team of postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and research staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Postdocs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Alexandra Starr (VU)
Selim Sameto\u011flu (MPI)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PhD candidates<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Josefina Bernardo (VU)
Madelief Kuijper (VU)
Kassandra Pomper (VU)
Zenab Tamimy (VU)
Magda Matetovici (MPI)
Britt Min (Oslo)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research assistant<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Martijn Meulenbroek (VU)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumni<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have (co-)supervised four PhD students:<\/p>\n\n\n\n