Dr T.F. (Tessa) Blanken
Postdoctoral researcher
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Programme group Psychological Methods
Visiting address
- Nieuwe Achtergracht 129
Postal address
- Postbus 15906
1001 NK Amsterdam
Contact details
Social media
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Profile
Tessa Blanken is a postdoctoral researcher at the Psychological Methods department at the University of Amsterdam.
In her research, Tessa uses network analyses, complexity science, and other data scientific techniques to investigate research questions that are societally relevant. During her PhD she focused on the interplay between insomnia and depression, among the most prevalent mental disorders today. After completing her PhD in early 2020, she co-founded the interdisciplinary platform Science versus Corona, including a data consultancy desk, to unite scientists across disciplines to understand and combat the coronavirus. She led the work on behavioral contact networks with the goal to identify behavioural interventions to mitigate the virus spread.
Currently, she focuses on two research lines: one on the role of sleep in the development, prevention, and intervention of depression; and another on human behaviour simulation to measure, explain, and model human behaviour with the goal to find substantiated and practical solutions to societal questions
Expertise and research fields
- Research Methods
- Network analysis
- Data Science
- Psychopathology
- Insomnia
- Depression
Other affiliations
- Affiliate at the UvA Data Science Centre
- Fellow at New Science of Mental Disorder
- Lead at the Human Behaviour Simulation lab
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Research
Research methods
- Network analysis
- Computational models
- Data science
- Experimental research design
- Survey
Current research projects
- Network Intervention Analysis: we aim to combine network analysis with experimental RCT data to investigate the symptom-specific and sequential effects of treatments.
- Science versus Corona: in the beginning of 2020 we started this multidischiplinary initiative. Today, we still work on projects related to that first initiative (see HUBS and RTLS).
- Human Behaviour Simulation (HUBS): we aim to develop realistic human behaviour simulation models to model behaviour in complex and social situations.
- Real Time Locating System (RTLS): this mobile set-up allows to collect movement data (xy-coordinates) realtime in different contexts. The data is used to inform our simulation models (see HUBS).
Research grants & honours
- PI Bial €40k (project: “The whole is more than the sum of its parts: Elucidating the link between sleep quality and well-being by integrating cross-modal networks”)
- Co-PI abc €280k (project: “More than the sum of parts: Exploiting the synergy between psychological and brain networks”)
- Hilbert Kamphuisen award for best dissertation 2019-2020
- VU University Research Fellowship (2016-2017)
- Co-applicant Innovation Grant Personalised Medicine, APH (€28k): “Linking symptom and brain network structure to understand heterogeneity in treatment response in ADHD”
- Co-applicant eScience center open call for SSI in Software Performance Optimization (0.33 PYR): “Minds for mobile agents”
Current cooperation with organisations and/or persons
Official external collaborations - supported by funding
- Collaboration with Anouk Schrantee (AMC)
- Collaboration with Robert Belleman, Visualisation Lab, Informatics Institute
- Collaboration with Frank Lobbezoo (ACTA), Ghislane Aarab (ACTA), Eus van Someren (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience) as supervisor team for Thiprawee Chattrattrai
Official internal collaborations
- Denny Borsboom, Dora Matzke, Andrew Heathcote, Charlotte Tanis (Psychological Methods department)
- Maarten Marsman (Psychological Methods department, abc grant)
- Merel Kindt and Arnoud Arntz (Clinical Psychology, supervisor-team for Güldehan Durman)
- Jaap Lancee and Tim Schoenmakers (Clinical Psychology, supervisor-team Mathilde Looman)
Unofficial collaborations
- (external) Collaboration with Linda Douw (Amsterdam UMC)
- (external) Collaboration with Sophie Boerman (WUR)
- (internal) Collaboration with Esmée Verwijk (Brain & Cognition, UvA)
- Collaboration with Marijn Meijers
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Teaching & PhD supervision
Overview courses
Ancillary activities
- Copromotor of Thiprawee Chattrattrai (at ACTA)
- Copromotor of Güldehan Durman
- In the supervising team of Mathilde Looman
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Publications
2022
Chattrattrai, T., Blanken, T. F., Lobbezoo, F., Su, N., Aarab, G., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2022). A network analysis of self-reported sleep bruxism in the Netherlands sleep registry: its associations with insomnia and several demographic, psychological, and life-style factors. Sleep Medicine, 93, 63-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2022.03.018 [details]- Dekker, M. M., Blanken, T. F., Dablander, F., Ou, J., Borsboom, D., & Panja, D. (2022). Quantifying agent impacts on contact sequences in social interactions. Scientific Reports, 12, [3483]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07384-0 [details]
- Lancee, J., Harvey, A. G., Morin, C. M., Ivers, H., van der Zweerde, T., & Blanken, T. F. (2022). Network Intervention Analyses of cognitive therapy and behavior therapy for insomnia: Symptom specific effects and process measures. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 153, [104100]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2022.104100 [details]
- Leerssen, J., Lakbila-Kamal, O., Dekkers, L. M. S., Ikelaar, S. L. C., Albers, A. C. W., Blanken, T. F., Lancee, J., van der Lande, G. J. M., Maksimovic, T., Mastenbroek, S. E., Reesen, J. E., van de Ven, S., van der Zweerde, T., Foster-Dingley, J. C., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2022). Treating Insomnia with High Risk of Depression Using Therapist-Guided Digital Cognitive, Behavioral, and Circadian Rhythm Support Interventions to Prevent Worsening of Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 91(3), 168–179. https://doi.org/10.1159/000520282 [details]
- Pröpper, H. Y. L., Geiger, S., Blanken, T. F., & Brick, C. (2022). Truth over identity? Cultural cognition weakly replicates across 23 countries. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 83, [101865]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101865 [details]
- Riemann, D., Benz, F., Dressle, R. J., Espie, C. A., Johann, A. F., Blanken, T. F., Leerssen, J., Wassing, R., Henry, A. L., Kyle, S. D., Spiegelhalder, K., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2022). Insomnia disorder: State of the science and challenges for the future. Journal of Sleep Research, 31(4), [e13604]. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13604 [details]
- Tanis, C. C., Nauta, F. H., Boersma, M. J., Van der Steenhoven, M. V., Borsboom, D., & Blanken, T. F. (2022). Practical behavioural solutions to COVID-19: Changing the role of behavioural science in crises. PLoS ONE, 17(10), [e0272994]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272994 [details]
- de Feijter, M., Kocevska, D., Blanken, T. F., van der Velpen, I. F., Ikram, M. A., & Luik, A. I. (2022). The network of psychosocial health in middle-aged and older adults during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57(12), 2469–2479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02308-9 [details]
- van der Wal, J., van Borkulo, C. D., Haslbeck, J. M. B., Slofstra, C., Klein, N. S., Blanken, T. F., Deserno, M. K., Lok, A., Nauta, M. H., & Bockting, C. L. H. (2022). Effects of various relapse prevention strategies on affect dynamics and its impact on depressive relapse using network analysis: a randomized controlled trial.. Manuscript submitted for publication.
2021
- Blanken, T. F., Bathelt, J., Deserno, M. K., Voge, L., Borsboom, D., & Douw, L. (2021). Connecting brain and behavior in clinical neuroscience: A network approach. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 130, 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.027 [details]
- Blanken, T. F., Courbet, O., Franc, N., Albajara Sáenz, A., Van Someren, E. J. W., Peigneux, P., & Villemonteix, T. (2021). Is an irritable ADHD profile traceable using personality dimensions? Replicability, stability, and predictive value over time of data‑driven profiles. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30(4), 633-645. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01546-z [details]
- Blanken, T. F., Jansson-Fröjmark, M., Sunnhed, R., & Lancee, J. (2021). Symptom-Specific Effects of Cognitive Therapy and Behavior Therapy for Insomnia: A Network Intervention Analysis. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 89(4), 364–370. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000625 [details]
- Blanken, T. F., Tanis, C. C., Nauta, F. H., Dablander, F., Zijlstra, B. J. H., Bouten, R. R. M., Oostvogel, Q. H., Boersma, M. J., van der Steenhoven, M. V., van Harreveld, F., de Wit, S., & Borsboom, D. (2021). Promoting physical distancing during COVID-19: a systematic approach to compare behavioral interventions. Scientific Reports, 11, [19463]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98964-z [details]
- Tanis, C. C., Leach, N. M., Geiger, S. J., Nauta, F. H., Dablander, F., van Harreveld, F., de Wit, S., Kanters, G., Knoppers, J., Markus, D. A. W., Bouten, R. R. M., Oostvogel, Q. H., Boersma, M. J., van der Steenhoven, M. V., Borsboom, D., & Blanken, T. F. (2021). Smart Distance Lab’s art fair, experimental data on social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific Data, 8, [179]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00971-2 [details]
2020
- Blanken, T. F., Borsboom, D., Penninx, B. W. J. H., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2020). Network outcome analysis identifies difficulty initiating sleep as a primary target for prevention of depression: a 6-year prospective study. Sleep, 43(5), [zsz288]. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz288 [details]
- Burger, J., Isvoranu, A. M., Lunansky, G., Haslbeck, J. M. B., Epskamp, S., Hoekstra, R. H. A., Fried, E. I., Borsboom, D., & Blanken, T. F. (2020). Reporting Standards for Psychological Network Analyses in Cross-sectional Data. Manuscript submitted for publication. https://psyarxiv.com/4y9nz/
- Kocevska, D., Blanken, T. F., Van Someren, E. J. W., & Rösler, L. (2020). Sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: not one size fits all. Sleep Medicine, 76, 86-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.09.029 [details]
- Leerssen, J., Foster-Dingley, J. C., Lakbila-Kamal, O., Dekkers, L. M. S., Albers, A. C. W., Ikelaar, S. L. C., Maksimovic, T., Wassing, R., Houtman, S. J., Bresser, T., Blanken, T. F., te Lindert, B., Ramautar, J. R., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2020). Internet-guided cognitive, behavioral and chronobiological interventions in depression-prone insomnia subtypes: protocol of a randomized controlled prevention trial. BMC Psychiatry, 20, [163]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02554-8 [details]
- Schmaal, L., Pozzi, E., C. Ho, T., van Velzen, L. S., Veer, I. M., Opel, N., Van Someren, E. J. W., Han, L. K. M., Aftanas, L., Aleman, A., Baune, B. T., Berger, K., Blanken, T. F., Capitão, L., Couvy-Duchesne, B., R. Cullen, K., Dannlowski, U., Davey, C., Erwin-Grabner, T., ... Veltman, D. J. (2020). ENIGMA MDD: seven years of global neuroimaging studies of major depression through worldwide data sharing. Translational Psychiatry, 10(1), [172]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-0842-6
- de Mooij, S. M. M., Blanken, T. F., Grasman, R. P. P. P., Ramautar, J. R., Van Someren, E. J. W., & van der Maas, H. L. J. (2020). Dynamics of sleep: Exploring critical transitions and early warning signals. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 193, [105448]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpb.2020.105448 [details]
- te Lindert, B. H. W., Blanken, T. F., van der Meijden, W. P., Dekker, K., Wassing, R., van der Werf, Y. D., Ramautar, J. R., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2020). Actigraphic multi-night home-recorded sleep estimates reveal three types of sleep misperception in Insomnia Disorder and good sleepers. Journal of Sleep Research, 29(1), [e12937]. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12937 [details]
2019
- Blanken, T. F., Benjamins, J. S., Borsboom, D., Vermunt, J. K., Paquola, C., Ramautar, J., Dekker, K., Stoffers, D., Wassing, R., Wei, Y., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2019). Insomnia disorder subtypes derived from life history and traits of affect and personality. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(2), 151-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30464-4 [details]
- Letina, S., Blanken, T. F., Deserno, M. K., & Borsboom, D. (2019). Expanding Network Analysis Tools in Psychological Networks: Minimal Spanning Trees, Participation Coefficients, and Motif Analysis Applied to a Network of 26 Psychological Attributes. Complexity, 2019, [9424605]. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9424605 [details]
2018
- Blanken, T. F., Deserno, M. K., Dalege, J., Borsboom, D., Blanken, P., Kerkhof, G. A., & Cramer, A. O. J. (2018). The role of stabilizing and communicating symptoms given overlapping communities in psychopathology networks. Scientific Reports, 8, [5854]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-24224-2 [details]
- Wei, Y., Blanken, T. F., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2018). Insomnia really hurts: Effect of a bad night's sleep on pain increases with insomnia severity. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, [377]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00377
2017
- Benjamins, J. S., Migliorati, F., Dekker, K., Wassing, R., Moens, S., Blanken, T. F., te Lindert, B. H. W., Sjauw Mook, J., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2017). Insomnia heterogeneity: Characteristics to consider for data-driven multivariate subtyping. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 36, 71-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2016.10.005
- Dekker, K., Blanken, T. F., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2017). Insomnia and personality—a network approach. Brain Sciences, 7(3), [28]. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci7030028
- Hammerschlag, A. R., Stringer, S., De Leeuw, C. A., Sniekers, S., Taskesen, E., Watanabe, K., Blanken, T. F., Dekker, K., Te Lindert, B. H. W., Wassing, R., Jonsdottir, I., Thorleifsson, G., Stefansson, H., Gislason, T., Berger, K., Schormair, B., Wellmann, J., Winkelmann, J., Stefansson, K., ... Posthuma, D. (2017). Genome-wide association analysis of insomnia complaints identifies risk genes and genetic overlap with psychiatric and metabolic traits. Nature genetics, 49(11), 1584-1592. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.3888
- Krypotos, A-M., Blanken, T. F., Arnaudova, I., Matzke, D., & Beckers, T. (2017). A Primer on Bayesian Analysis for Experimental Psychopathologists. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 8(2), 140-157. https://doi.org/10.5127/jep.057316 [details]
- Wei, Y., Colombo, M. A., Ramautar, J. R., Blanken, T. F., van der Werf, Y. D., Spiegelhalder, K., Feige, B., Riemann, D., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2017). Sleep stage transition dynamics reveal specific stage 2 vulnerability in insomnia. Sleep, 40(9), [zsx117]. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsx117
2014
- van Borkulo, C. D., Borsboom, D., Epskamp, S., Blanken, T. F., Boschloo, L., Schoevers, R. A., & Waldorp, L. J. (2014). A new method for constructing networks from binary data. Scientific Reports, 4, [5918]. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep05918 [details]
2019
- Blanken, T. F., & van Someren, E. J. W. (2019). Subtyping insomnia disorder – Authors' reply. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(4), 285-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30079-3
- Blanken, T. F., Van Der Zweerde, T., Van Straten, A., Van Someren, E. J. W., Borsboom, D., & Lancee, J. (2019). Introducing Network Intervention Analysis to Investigate Sequential, Symptom-Specific Treatment Effects: A Demonstration in Co-Occurring Insomnia and Depression. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 88(1), 52-54. https://doi.org/10.1159/000495045 [details]
Prize / grant
- Matzke, D., Heathcote, A., Blanken, T. & Tanis, C. (2021). Small-Scale Initiatives in Software Performance Optimization.
2022
- Tanis, C. C. & Blanken, T. (10-6-2022). Contact data supermarket. Universiteit van Amsterdam. https://doi.org/10.21942/uva.20052083.v1
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Ancillary activities
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Nederlands Herseninstituut
50% postdoc aanstelling;
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Nederlands Herseninstituut
Chattrattrai, T., Blanken, T. F., Lobbezoo, F., Su, N., Aarab, G., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2022). A network analysis of self-reported sleep bruxism in the Netherlands sleep registry: its associations with insomnia and several demographic, psychological, and life-style factors. Sleep Medicine, 93, 63-70.