Dr Elsje van Bergen
LightNews LightNews
banner
drelsje.bsky.social
Dr Elsje van Bergen
@drelsje.bsky.social
760 followers 410 following 130 posts
A/Prof Psychology @ VU Amsterdam; Visiting Prof @ Oslo.
Educational Genetics | Neurodiversity | Intergenerational Transmission
🧬📖➗👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 #ERC-StG #VIDI 🤸acrobat
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=X2U5w7UAAAAJ&hl=nl&oi=ao
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
drelsje.bsky.social
Dr Elsje van Bergen @drelsje.bsky.social · Mar 19
🚀 New paper & press release! 🧬📖 🧮 Our large-scale study (20,000 children) shows that #ADHD, #dyslexia, and #dyscalculia often co-occur due to shared genetic risk—not because one condition causes the other.
doi.org/10.1177/0956... (1/5)
Genetics reveal: Children with ADHD at greater risk for learning difficulties - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
De erfelijke aanleg voor ADHD overlapt met aanleg voor dyslexie en dyscalculie, blijkt uit onderzoek van de VU en UvA.
vu.nl
drelsje.bsky.social
✨ Everything I do is #TeamScience — collaboration across countries, disciplines & perspectives.

Grateful to the International #Dyslexia Association for recognising our work with the 2025 Early Career Award in Atlanta.

🧬 Full story by @vuamsterdam.bsky.social:
vu.nl/en/news/2025...

#DyslexiaCon25
November 12, 2025 at 8:52 PM
drelsje.bsky.social
Does anyone have the British Ability Scales (BAS) II manual (Elliott, Smith & McCulloch, 1996/1997) on their shelf? 📚

@magdamatetovici.bsky.social, @carorowland.bsky.social & I are trying to look up the reliability for the Naming Vocabulary subtest (age 5). E.g. Cronbach’s α or test–retest r.

🙏
November 12, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
drelsje.bsky.social
🚨 Big question, big paper! Why does educational inequality run in families?
The parent-child education link (r = .31) is often seen as purely environmental.
From 569k kids, we decomposed it:
🧬 68% genetic
🏡 12% parental environment
👴 20% extended-family environment
👉 doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵
April 13, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
michelnivard.bsky.social
Amsterdam ❤️
November 2, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
drelsje.bsky.social
Weet jij allang op wie je gaat stemmen, of ben je nog in dubio? Om het je zo makkelijk mogelijk te maken, hebben we de tien beste redenen om op GroenLinks-PvdA te stemmen verzameld. Lees, deel en stem voor een links, progressief kabinet!
stem.groenlinkspvda.nl/s/arEXqCL6
Tien redenen om op GroenLinks-PvdA te stemmen
stem.groenlinkspvda.nl
October 26, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
laraffington.bsky.social
We have an open postdoc position in Social Science Genomics in Berlin!

Includes gene-environment interplay within German population cohorts & experimental online survey studies to probe public perceptions of potential DNA biomarker applications

🔗 www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/2196134/2025...
Postdoctoral Position in Social Science Genomics | Max Planck Research Group Biosocial
www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de
October 28, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
rosacheesman.bsky.social
Interdisciplinary paper with @paulhufe.net Astrid Sandsør and Nicolai Borgen now out in PNAS!
www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....

Causal evidence of gene-environment interaction for reading test scores based on:
🧬 Exogenous within-family genetic differences
🏫 Exogenous variation in school value added
The genetic lottery goes to school: Better schools compensate for the effects of students’ genetic differences
www.pnas.org
October 28, 2025 at 11:25 AM
drelsje.bsky.social
Weet jij allang op wie je gaat stemmen, of ben je nog in dubio? Om het je zo makkelijk mogelijk te maken, hebben we de tien beste redenen om op GroenLinks-PvdA te stemmen verzameld. Lees, deel en stem voor een links, progressief kabinet!
stem.groenlinkspvda.nl/s/arEXqCL6
Tien redenen om op GroenLinks-PvdA te stemmen
stem.groenlinkspvda.nl
October 26, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
drelsje.bsky.social
✨ Honoured to receive the 2025 Early Career Award at #DyslexiaCon25!

I’ll give my award talk on Fri 3:50pm
🎓 Decoding the Gene–Environment Interplay on Dyslexia

Grateful to all my collaborators and lab members— #TeamScience is all I do 💙

🔗 About the award files.constantcontact.com/e2798027001/...
October 24, 2025 at 12:36 AM
drelsje.bsky.social
✨ Honoured to receive the 2025 Early Career Award at #DyslexiaCon25!

I’ll give my award talk on Fri 3:50pm
🎓 Decoding the Gene–Environment Interplay on Dyslexia

Grateful to all my collaborators and lab members— #TeamScience is all I do 💙

🔗 About the award files.constantcontact.com/e2798027001/...
October 24, 2025 at 12:36 AM
drelsje.bsky.social
🚀From psychology undergraduate to behavioural geneticist: my PhD student @madeliefkuijper.bsky.social shares her inspiring journey
“I once feared statistics—now I use R every day, even with pleasure!”
vu.nl/nl/verhalen/... @vuamsterdam.bsky.social
@academic-chatter.bsky.social #PhDLife #AcademicSky
Madelief Kuijper voltooide de Bachelor Psychologie - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Madelief Kuijper heeft de bacheloropleiding Psychologie aan de Vrije Universiteit voltooid. Hoe heeft zij de opleiding ervaren?
vu.nl
October 14, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
sirileknes.bsky.social
Brilliant thread summarising this field - perfect for those in other fields 🙏
drelsje.bsky.social Dr Elsje van Bergen @drelsje.bsky.social · Oct 6
🧩Learning to talk & read isn’t just about effort or teaching—it’s shaped by biology, experience & context

🧠Our new review links genetics, neuroscience, psychology & education to show why some children find language or reading easier.

📖 doi.org/10.31234/osf...

🖼️genes→brain→cognition→behaviour 🧵👇
Figure 2 in the review: Levels of analysis from genes and brain systems to cognition and behaviour. The child both influences and is influenced by parents through genetically shaped interactions, and by the wider school and social environment. Figure design by Neil Usher. Figure from this review paper: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/w23yz_v1
October 6, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
deevybee.bsky.social
wow! how amazing. Thanks to you all for taking this on - I am looking forward to reading it 😀
drelsje.bsky.social Dr Elsje van Bergen @drelsje.bsky.social · Oct 6
💬 This paper grew from a special issue celebrating Professor @deevybee.bsky.social—four of us invited from different fields for a “scientific blind date.”

That spark became a truly interdisciplinary review.
📖 doi.org/10.31234/osf...

🖼️ writing retreat, Wellcome Collection (London)
October 6, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
drelsje.bsky.social
🏠 Language & reading often “run in families” — not just through shared environment, but also through shared genes.

Parents pass on both DNA & experiences. Their own traits shape the home & how they interact with children — creating gene–environment correlations.

🖼️ child ↔ parents ↔ broader context
Diagram showing bidirectional influences among child, parents, and environment. Parents pass on genes and provide experiences influenced by their own traits. The child both influences and is influenced by family, school, and society. Figure design by Neil Usher. Figure from this review paper: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/w23yz_v1
October 6, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
drelsje.bsky.social
🧬 Language & reading show moderate to high heritability—differences among children are partly inherited.

A polygenic score sums thousands of tiny DNA effects to estimate genetic propensity, but it’s not destiny: environment & chance still matter.

🖼️ many small variants → one polygenic score
A polygenic score (PGS) estimates an individual’s genetic propensity for a trait. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identify small effects (β) of many single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Each person’s PGS is the sum of their trait-associated alleles weighted by these effects, forming a normal distribution. Figure design by Neil Usher, adapted from Hart, Little & van Bergen (2021, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41539-020-00079-z). Figure from this review paper: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/w23yz_v1
October 6, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
carorowland.bsky.social
Fabulous review here! Essential reading for language and literacty bods
drelsje.bsky.social Dr Elsje van Bergen @drelsje.bsky.social · Oct 6
🧩Learning to talk & read isn’t just about effort or teaching—it’s shaped by biology, experience & context

🧠Our new review links genetics, neuroscience, psychology & education to show why some children find language or reading easier.

📖 doi.org/10.31234/osf...

🖼️genes→brain→cognition→behaviour 🧵👇
Figure 2 in the review: Levels of analysis from genes and brain systems to cognition and behaviour. The child both influences and is influenced by parents through genetically shaped interactions, and by the wider school and social environment. Figure design by Neil Usher. Figure from this review paper: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/w23yz_v1
October 7, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
drelsje.bsky.social
📊 Language & reading skills form a continuum—not two groups of “typical” vs “disordered”

Conditions like dyslexia or developmental language disorder (DLD) reflect the lower end of normal variation in these skills, not distinct categories

🖼️ continuous distribution of ability, with cut-offs shown
Language and reading skills are normally distributed. Children in the lower tail may meet criteria for dyslexia or developmental language disorder (DLD). Percentile scores (top) and standard-deviation cut-offs (bottom) show typical thresholds (e.g., bottom 7 % or < –1.5 SD). Figure design by Neil Usher.
October 6, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
eivindy.bsky.social
Two birds of a gene - catch Matt Keller's webinar at @uio.no on October 15th. Please share
www.sv.uio.no/promenta/eng...
@ispg.bsky.social @behaviorgenetic.bsky.social @unioslo-svfak.bsky.social @essgn.bsky.social @ibg.colorado.edu
Using structural equation models to estimate direct and indirect genetic effects and assortative mating in trio data - PROMENTA
Guest lecture by Matt Keller
www.sv.uio.no
October 5, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
dingdingpeng.the100.ci
Happy to announce that I'll give a talk on how we can make rigorous causal inference more mainstream 📈

You can sign up for the Zoom link here: tinyurl.com/CIIG-JuliaRo...
Causal inference interest group, supported by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies Seminar series 20th October 2025, 3pm BST (UTC+1) "Making rigorous causal inference more mainstream" Julia Rohrer, Leipzig University Sign up to attend at tinyurl.com/CIIG-JuliaRohrer
October 6, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
eikofried.bsky.social
Really nice beginner's guide to academia in the Netherlands

knaw.h5mag.com/beginners-gu...
Introduction - beginners-guide
In this edition: A beginner’s guide to Dutch academia This guide, an introduction to Dutch research and higher education, serves as a support document for researchers and instructors who are unfamil...
knaw.h5mag.com
October 8, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
cedricboeckx.bsky.social
Very interesting set of reflections on developmental language & reading disorders, across layers of analysis, by @drelsje.bsky.social
@nickyjdawson.bsky.social @emljames.bsky.social @salonikrishnan.bsky.social
(With many good references to @deevybee.bsky.social’s important work) 🧪🧬🧠🗣️
drelsje.bsky.social Dr Elsje van Bergen @drelsje.bsky.social · Oct 6
🧩Learning to talk & read isn’t just about effort or teaching—it’s shaped by biology, experience & context

🧠Our new review links genetics, neuroscience, psychology & education to show why some children find language or reading easier.

📖 doi.org/10.31234/osf...

🖼️genes→brain→cognition→behaviour 🧵👇
Figure 2 in the review: Levels of analysis from genes and brain systems to cognition and behaviour. The child both influences and is influenced by parents through genetically shaped interactions, and by the wider school and social environment. Figure design by Neil Usher. Figure from this review paper: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/w23yz_v1
October 7, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
wolfgangwalter.bsky.social
Science as it should be - a photo says more than 1000 words!
drelsje.bsky.social Dr Elsje van Bergen @drelsje.bsky.social · Oct 6
👩‍🔬 Review paper by me @nickyjdawson.bsky.social @emljames.bsky.social @salonikrishnan.bsky.social; figures by Neil Usher doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🖼️ writing retreat
Grateful to Kate Nation @kateewatkins.bsky.social Courtenay Norbury & @orbenamy.bsky.social for bringing us together

🧵☝️ (end of thread)
October 6, 2025 at 10:08 AM
drelsje.bsky.social
🧩Learning to talk & read isn’t just about effort or teaching—it’s shaped by biology, experience & context

🧠Our new review links genetics, neuroscience, psychology & education to show why some children find language or reading easier.

📖 doi.org/10.31234/osf...

🖼️genes→brain→cognition→behaviour 🧵👇
Figure 2 in the review: Levels of analysis from genes and brain systems to cognition and behaviour. The child both influences and is influenced by parents through genetically shaped interactions, and by the wider school and social environment. Figure design by Neil Usher. Figure from this review paper: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/w23yz_v1
October 6, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
kojamf.bsky.social
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
October 5, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Reposted by Dr Elsje van Bergen
samwang.bsky.social
Once more: the best evidence shows that Tylenol taken during pregnancy is not harmful. **This question is settled.** The benefit of reducing discomfort and fever is extremely important at a time when the fetus is developing.

Pregnant women - Tylenol is safe.
sciencebasedmedicine.org/tylenol-and-...
September 22, 2025 at 1:55 AM