Tom Bresser

PhD student

Contact info

  • Address

    Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR)
    Department of Complex Trait Genetics
    W&N building, room A-603
    De Boelelaan 1085
    1081 HV Amsterdam
    The Netherlands

  • E-mail

  • Phone

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Short CV

2018-present PhD candidate (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and VU University)
2014-2018 MSc Neuroscience & Cognition Utrecht University
2011-2014 BSc Biomedical Sciences Utrecht University

Research

Insomnia disorder is a highly prevalent psychological disorder that affects 10% of the population. To better understand the disorder, we try to understand the insomnia brain. Does it differ from good sleepers? Could certain brain phenotypes predisposed people making them more vulnerable to develop insomnia?
To answer these sort of questions my PhD focusses on the wiring of the brain. We use MRI techniques to measure white matter microstructure and fibers. White matter fibers connect different brain region enabling communication and forming a complex network. Combining these features with data on environmental factors and genetic background, we aim to better understand the brain mechanism underlying insomnia.

Highlighted publications

Bresser T, Foster-Dingley JC, Wassing R, Leerssen J, Ramautar JR, Stoffers D, Lakbila-Kamal O, van den Heuvel MP, van Someren EJW. (2020) Consistent altered internal capsule white matter microstructure in insomnia disorder. Sleep 43. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsaa031