Dennis Schutter appointed professor of Experimental Biopsychology of Motivation and Emotion
Dennis Schutter has been appointed professor of Experimental Biopsychology of Motivation and Emotion as of 1 July 2021. Schutter: ‘My chair is translational in nature. This means that the results from our fundamental research are used for clinical applications.’
As a professor, Schutter will focus on multidisciplinary research and teaching in the field of experimental and biological psychology. ‘The focus will be on increasing our psychological and neurobiological understanding of the primary mental processes that underlie human behaviour.’
Disruptions to homeostatic processes can lead to psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression
Homeostasis
The new professor will concentrate on studying what are known as homeostatic processes. Homeostasis involves the self-regulation of processes, whereby biological systems strive to maintain stability and adapt to conditions that are optimal for survival. Schutter: ‘Disruptions to homeostatic processes can lead to psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression. Through my research, I want to make this more understandable by mapping the relevant brain processes. This knowledge should then contribute to the development of new treatment methods, such as the use of brain stimulation to treat mental illnesses and brain disorders.’
I’m currently working to eliminate the negative impact of the coronavirus crisis on our research.
Returning to the nest
Schutter, who started studying Psychology in Utrecht in 1995, obtained his doctorate there and returned to the nest in 2019, hopes that his appointment will not lead to too many changes in the short term. ‘I’m currently involved in a Vici research programme. Together with my research group, I’m working to eliminate the negative impact of the coronavirus crisis on our research. In the future, I can see myself playing a more active part in educational policy, doing more consultation and administrative work, doing committee work for organisations such as the Dutch Research Council and the European Research Council and taking on even more of a leading role in research.’