Scientific Team
Découvrez notre équipe de chercheurs dédiée à l’exploration des comportements addictifs et à l’amélioration de la santé mentale grâce à des méthodes innovantes.
Current Provisional Members - Doctoral Students
Clémence Dousset – researcher
Researcher with a Ph.D., specializing in experimental neuroscience applied to clinical practice.
My primary research interests include identifying impaired cognitive processes in psychiatric disorders, particularly addiction; the development of neuromodulation interventions (tDCS, neurofeedback) aimed at restoring these processes; and the assessment of the impact of these cognitive improvements on the quality of care, quality of life, and patients’ autonomy.
Anaïs Ingels – Neuropsychologist
I am a neuropsychologist and clinical psychologist with a degree from ULB.
My work focuses primarily on developing electrophysiological standards for an evaluation battery based on evoked potentials (ERPs), with the goal of enabling reliable clinical use in patients with addiction.
More broadly, I am interested in the neurocognitive mechanisms involved in substance use disorders, particularly alterations in cognitive control.
Through my research, I am committed to developing tools that facilitate the integration of neuroscience into clinical practice.
Sonia Sistiaga – Ph.D. Candidate
I hold a master’s degree in psychological sciences (University of Mons) and am a doctoral student funded by a FRESH grant from the FNRS.
My research focuses on the processes of emotional regulation in social anxiety and binge drinking, and their co-occurrence among young adults.
Xinyu YAN – Researcher
My research has focused on the underlying mechanisms of social media addiction, with a particular emphasis on the role of emotional regulation and cognitive control.
My research aims to understand the interactions between affective and cognitive processes in the context of excessive social media use, combining behavioral experiments, psychometric assessments, and statistical modeling to highlight how maladaptive emotional regulation contributes to addictive online behaviors.
Hendrik Kajosch – Psychiatrist
Psychiatrist and assistant chief resident at the Brugmann University Hospital (CHU/UVC) in Brussels.
Specializing in clinical and scientific electrophysiology, he heads a dedicated unit and serves as a lecturer at the ULB School of Medicine.
His areas of expertise include consultative psychiatry, poly-substance use disorder, and psychoanalytic psychotherapy (postgraduate master’s degree, KU Leuven).
I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. at ULB focused on the neurophysiological understanding of psychotic disorders (the developmental aspect of the bimodal P300).
I am a candidate member of the Belgian Society of Psychoanalysis.
Leatitia Vanderijst – Ph.D. Candidate
Laetitia Vanderijst is a psychologist and a doctoral student at the Université libre de Bruxelles, under the supervision of Drs. Christophe Leys and Matthieu Hein.
Since 2022, thanks to a doctoral fellowship from the National Fund for Scientific Research and various grants from the Brugmann Foundation, the Iris Fund, and the King Baudouin Foundation, she has been coordinating a clinical trial on psilocybin-assisted therapy for severe alcohol use disorder.
Laetitia focuses primarily on the clinical and ethical aspects of psychedelic-assisted therapy, from clinical research to its implementation in healthcare systems. She also contributes to the ARCHE project, led by Dr. Margot Morgiève, which is dedicated to the historical and sociological study of the rationales and norms influencing the implementation of psychedelics in addiction research.
Nilosmita Banerjee – Ph.D. Candidate
Nilosmita Banerjee is a doctoral student conducting research on risky and impaired decision-making in the context of gambling disorder.
She is particularly interested in the phenomenon of “chasing losses,” a key clinical symptom and behavioral marker of harm in gambling addiction.
In addition to field studies, she is interested in experimental research on the psychological and cognitive mechanisms underlying “loss aversion” and risk-taking decision-making, particularly in the context of gambling disorder and, more broadly, in financial decision-making.
She also founded the Pan-European Gambling Journal Club, an academic initiative developed in collaboration with the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling (AFSG) in the United Kingdom, and currently serves as associate editor of the *Journal of European Students’ Psychology*.
Yusein Haami – Ph.D. student
Why do we behave a certain way? That is the question I am trying to answer.
People often continue to engage in behaviors such as drinking alcohol or gambling, despite their negative consequences. Some argue that these are simply habits or aimless behaviors.
However, I believe that every behavior, even maladaptive behavior, serves a certain purpose. Understanding how goal-setting works in maladaptive behaviors could be the key to changing them.
My research aims to explore the mechanisms underlying these behaviors, particularly through Agnes Moors’s model.
Felix Hever – Ph.D. Candidate
Felix Hever studied sensory information processing in schizophrenia using EEG (visual evoked potentials) in Heidelberg, and then went on to specialize in psychiatry at the ULB in Brussels.
During his residency, he was part of a research team conducting a study on psilocybin-assisted therapy for severe alcohol use disorder at Brugmann University Hospital.
He is currently setting up a study on psilocybin-assisted therapy for cocaine use disorder at Brugmann University Hospital, which is intended to address an urgent need for new treatment options. This study will also use EEG (event-related potentials) to explore the underlying therapeutic mechanisms.
Veronique Bernier – Researcher
My name is Véronique Bernier. I am a research assistant at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) as part of my doctoral studies.
My initial training was in civil engineering, supplemented by a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a degree in dietetics from a university of applied sciences, as well as a master’s degree in biomedical sciences.
My research focuses on low-grade chronic inflammation associated with major depression. I am also interested in the impact of nutritional risk factors in this context.
Camille Point – Researcher
After earning a bachelor’s degree in medicine from UMons, Dr. Camille Point completed a master’s degree in medicine and a specialized master’s degree in adult psychiatry at ULB.
After several years of practice as head of the psychiatric emergency department and a member of the liaison team at Erasme Hospital, and subsequently as head of the North Unit (mood disorders) at the same hospital, she took over as head of the 72 Alcoholism Unit at Brugmann University Hospital in late 2024.
She is also involved in teaching medical and psychiatry students at ULB, as well as in the midwifery program at HELB.
Her research interests include addiction, perinatal health, and domestic violence.
She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation in Alcohol Studies at ULB.
Florent Wyckmans – Ph.D. Candidate
Florent Wyckmans is a doctoral student in neuropsychology at ULB, in the Laboratory of Medical Psychology and Addiction Studies, under the supervision of Prof. Xavier Noël.
His dissertation explores decision-making and reinforcement learning, with a focus on the balance between “model-based” and “model-free” controls.
He studies the impact of acute stress and daily routines on decision-making in addictive disorders, particularly pathological gambling and alcohol use. He combines experimental protocols, cognitive models, and statistical analyses to link underlying processes, observed behaviors, and data.
Its goal is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying addictive behaviors in order to inform clinical assessment and intervention. To this end, it relies on standardized decision-making tasks, controlled stress paradigms, and computational models that allow for the inference of latent psychological parameters.
Research staff at the institution (ULB)
Macha Dubuson – Clinical Psychologist
Clinical Psychologist – CBT Psychotherapist
My research focuses primarily on addiction and applied neuroscience with the aim of improving clinical care.
My dissertation focuses on non-pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorders, particularly neuromodulation approaches (transcranial stimulation, cognitive training) and the study of behavioral inhibition mechanisms using event-related potentials (ERPs).
I have also participated in European projects such as IT4Anxiety ( technological solutions for anxiety) and TuTo3-PAT (peer support in mental health). Currently, I am the project manager for the “Care Pathway—Illicit Drugs” initiative within Réseau 107 Bw, working to streamline care pathways for individuals with psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders. I also teach at a university of applied sciences.
Catherine Hanak—Psychiatrist
I am a psychiatrist and Chief of Clinic in the Addiction Unit of the Psychiatry Department at Brugmann University Hospital. My areas of expertise focus primarily on alcohol and cannabis use, as well as psychiatric comorbidities, particularly mood disorders and psychotrauma.
At Brugmann University Hospital, I have developed several innovative projects in outpatient alcohol treatment, and I serve as the lead psychiatrist at the Cannabis Clinic. I am also a member of several boards of directors active in the field of addiction medicine (Enaden, Interstices, MASS, Pelican) and serve as chair of the board of the L’Orée Day Center.
In my research, I focus on qualitative approaches and help develop research programs at the addiction clinic at Brugmann University Hospital.
Finally, I have participated in several international cooperation projects in the fields of addiction and psychotrauma, notably in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (ARES), Vietnam (ARES), and Mongolia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Melanie SAEREMANS – Clinical Psychologist
Clinical psychologist and coordinator of the Clinic for Gambling and Other Behavioral Addictions at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Brugmann University Hospital.
I provide psychotherapy to individuals struggling with behavioral addictions (disorders related to gambling, screen use, and online addiction), as well as their loved ones. My clinical practice also extends to adolescents and young adults who are deeply involved in virtual worlds.
I hold a degree in psychological sciences (UCL), a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in excessive gambling (UNIL-CHUV, Switzerland), and a certificate in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (ULB).
I serve as an instructor for the Interuniversity Certificate in Transitional Psychiatry (ULB) and am a research associate on projects focusing on behavioral addictions and problematic digital technology use.
Olivier THEUERKAUFF—Ph.D. candidate
Psychiatrist and Alcohol Abuse Specialist at Brugmann University Hospital—Head of the Mobile Crisis Team at Hermesplus
Lecturer at ULB: Doctor-Patient Relationship
Research: Stigma and Recovery in Addiction Treatment
Yves Simon – Psychiatrist
Psychiatrist and psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders
My current primary research interest is the implementation of evidence-based psychotherapeutic practices and the personalization of psychological and nutritional therapies for eating disorders.
Founded the Eating Disorders Unit and the Adolescent Eating Disorders Treatment Center at Le Domaine Hospital in Braine-l’Alleud.
Her research focuses in particular on multifamily therapy for adolescent anorexia, including a study evaluating its effects on BMI, eating symptoms, and family functioning.
He has developed approaches that strongly involve family members, particularly siblings. He has also conducted research on body image in social psychology and validated computerized visual assessment tools.
His publications also include earlier studies on the epidemiology and cognitive processes specific to anorexia nervosa. Finally, he is the author and co-author of several books intended for patients and parents.
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