Projects

In summary, the purpose of this chair (on the basis of a series of lectures at the Flemish Universities) 1) disseminating scientific knowledge about pain in children with pain is sketched from a biopsychosocial framework; 2) demonstrate the importance of pain research in the context of cancer (pediatric context) with particular attention will be paid to the importance of social context (eg, role of parents, doctors, nurses).; 3) a discussion ...

Childhood adversity is a major transdiagnostic risk factor for the development of psychopathology and accounts for an estimated 45% of the population attributable risk for psychopathology across the lifespan. Moreover, childhood adversity has been associated with higher comorbidity, earlier age-of-onset and more treatment-resistance. It is therefore imperative to investigate which processes may underly the association ...

According to attachment theory, children’s experiences with unsupportive caregivers during distress and
the resulting insecure attachment influence the development of depression. Although associations between
insecure attachment and internalizing symptoms are apparent in infancy and early childhood, recent findings
suggest that the influence of moderators on this association increases in the transition to ...

The last decennia, there has been a significant increase in the number of youngsters that develop mental health problems. Once children develop a disorder in middle childhood, they are at elevated risk for mental health problems throughout further childhood and adolescence. The best strategy to reduce children’s vulnerability to develop mental health problems is stimulating their resilience by targeting mechanisms that stimulate healthy ...

This doctoral research explores the representation of childhood memories of war through a practice-based approach, combining the creation of a graphic novel with a critical written exegesis. Set against the socio-political backdrop of the Yugoslav Wars (1991–2001), the study examines the complexities of memory representation, particularly in relation to conflict and childhood. The research focuses on three main areas: memory ...

Improved patient tailored, more potent and durable treatment of childhood cancer is an urgent medical need. Childhood cancers are often still treated by a ‘one-fits-all’ approach, given the limited available entry points for targeted therapy. Molecular dissection of pediatric cancers, using multiple layers of information (so-called ‘omics’) up to the single cell level, is nowadays yielding fundamental insights into novel putative targets and ...

As survival rates have increased tremendously in children and

adolescents treated for cancer, the long-term sequelae of the

childhood cancer treatment play an increasingly important role in

their daily life quality. A frequently experienced symptom is a chronic

feeling of fatigue, of which the prevalence reaches up to 85% in

childhood cancer survivors.

Although this has a large negative impact ...