Although considered separate conditions today, the diagnostic overlap between schizophrenia and autism dates back to their origins in the early 20th century, when Swiss psychiatrist Eugène Bleuler coined both terms and identified autism as a core symptom of schizophrenia. Their gradually shifting use throughout the 20th century continuously redefined their relationship, from intrinsically related to entirely separate with DSM-III, to a more nuanced recognition of overlapping features in modern times.
My interest in this topic dates back to my PhD project, in which I followed up young adolescents at risk for psychosis, many of whom were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in childhood. Our first study showed that despite developmental differences, autistic youth reported similar levels of psychosis-risk or 'prodromal' symptoms as those without an autism diagnosis. Unbeknownst at the time, this finding would shape much of my later work.
My work received a significant boost with a NARSAD Young Investigator Award from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, which led to multiple national and international collaborations and subsequent publications (see below). This line of research continues to expand to this day. For an overview of the status quo up to 2023 I recommend reading our review in Nature Reviews Psychology. My current focus is to better understand which autistic individuals are particularly prone to developing psychosis and why.
Collaborators (recurring/current):
- Prof. Sander Begeer (Free University Amsterdam)
- Prof. Hilde Geurts (University of Amsterdam)
- Prof. Lieuwe de Haan (Amsterdam UMC)
- Britt Kok, MSc (Utrecht University)
- Prof. Amy Pinkham / Prof. Noah Sasson (University of Texas at Dallas, USA)
- Dr. Sophie van Rijn (Leiden University)
- Dr. Rik Schalbroeck (Leiden University)
Funding:
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (2017-2019)
Other:
Social (re)integration of adolescents and adults with autism and psychosis (NWO-funded research initiatives related to this topic)