Nicolas Leenaerts
@nicolasleenaerts.bsky.social
Psychiatrist/PhD/Psychotherapist (CBT) in training - BAEF Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Harvard University | Using machine learning to improve psychiatric care | EMA, fMRI, PET
https://nicolasleenaerts.github.io/
https://nicolasleenaerts.github.io/
Reposted by Nicolas Leenaerts
🚀 New paper (open access) out in Cognitive Therapy & Research: we (@herzog.bsky.social, @evalottabrakemeier.bsky.social, @hudsongolino.bsky.social and me) ask whether group‑level symptom‑change networks in CBT actually capture what happens inside each patient. #Psychology #CBT
Must We Always Go Idiographic? - Cognitive Therapy and Research
Purpose While psychological change processes are increasingly assumed to be “non-ergodic”, prompting a shift toward idiographic approaches, the assumption of ergodicity is often accepted a priori rath...
link.springer.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:11 AM
🚀 New paper (open access) out in Cognitive Therapy & Research: we (@herzog.bsky.social, @evalottabrakemeier.bsky.social, @hudsongolino.bsky.social and me) ask whether group‑level symptom‑change networks in CBT actually capture what happens inside each patient. #Psychology #CBT
Everytime I start reading something about Tranformers for timeseries forecasting, I hope for a split second that it's going to be about Optimus Prime trying to predict stock prices.
Alas...
Alas...
November 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Everytime I start reading something about Tranformers for timeseries forecasting, I hope for a split second that it's going to be about Optimus Prime trying to predict stock prices.
Alas...
Alas...
One of the reasons Mr.Beast supposedly chose Saudi-Arabia for his amusement park is because it is in the middle of the world.
Can somebody explain to him how earth is a globe... 🌍
Can somebody explain to him how earth is a globe... 🌍
November 9, 2025 at 5:26 PM
One of the reasons Mr.Beast supposedly chose Saudi-Arabia for his amusement park is because it is in the middle of the world.
Can somebody explain to him how earth is a globe... 🌍
Can somebody explain to him how earth is a globe... 🌍
One of the downsides of having some years of experience in academia is seeing how hype-driven research is...
October 23, 2025 at 7:28 PM
One of the downsides of having some years of experience in academia is seeing how hype-driven research is...
I really love the 'Deep Learning with Python' book by Francois Chollet and Matthew Watson.
For folks that don't know yet, you can read the entire book for free online! Really easy to actually use the code from the exercises.
deeplearningwithpython.io
For folks that don't know yet, you can read the entire book for free online! Really easy to actually use the code from the exercises.
deeplearningwithpython.io
Deep Learning with Python, Third Edition
Deep Learning with Python is written for anyone who wishes to explore deep learning from scratch. This new edition adds comprehensive coverage of generative AI and modern deep learning frameworks. It ...
deeplearningwithpython.io
October 22, 2025 at 6:13 PM
I really love the 'Deep Learning with Python' book by Francois Chollet and Matthew Watson.
For folks that don't know yet, you can read the entire book for free online! Really easy to actually use the code from the exercises.
deeplearningwithpython.io
For folks that don't know yet, you can read the entire book for free online! Really easy to actually use the code from the exercises.
deeplearningwithpython.io
Wow, coming from a country where there is a ban on making ads for prescription meds, this just shocked me. Serena Williams, a huge celebrity, making an ad for a weight loss product, at a time when so many people are insecure about their weight.
Honestly, that just makes me sad.
Honestly, that just makes me sad.
October 17, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Wow, coming from a country where there is a ban on making ads for prescription meds, this just shocked me. Serena Williams, a huge celebrity, making an ad for a weight loss product, at a time when so many people are insecure about their weight.
Honestly, that just makes me sad.
Honestly, that just makes me sad.
After years of careful study, I am proud to say that my research finds that Conchiglie are the best type of #pasta. The way they hold the sauce, Mamma Mia 🤌
I dare other researchers to contradict my findings, but let's be honest....
I dare other researchers to contradict my findings, but let's be honest....
October 16, 2025 at 10:40 PM
After years of careful study, I am proud to say that my research finds that Conchiglie are the best type of #pasta. The way they hold the sauce, Mamma Mia 🤌
I dare other researchers to contradict my findings, but let's be honest....
I dare other researchers to contradict my findings, but let's be honest....
“You’ll never get the award,” said my imposter syndrome. Well, look at me now!
Many thanks to the Royal Academy of Medicine for awarding the Prof. Dr. Bernard Sabbe Award in Clinical Psychiatry to my PhD thesis.
Read my thesis here: doi.org/10.13140/RG....
Many thanks to the Royal Academy of Medicine for awarding the Prof. Dr. Bernard Sabbe Award in Clinical Psychiatry to my PhD thesis.
Read my thesis here: doi.org/10.13140/RG....
October 3, 2025 at 2:30 PM
“You’ll never get the award,” said my imposter syndrome. Well, look at me now!
Many thanks to the Royal Academy of Medicine for awarding the Prof. Dr. Bernard Sabbe Award in Clinical Psychiatry to my PhD thesis.
Read my thesis here: doi.org/10.13140/RG....
Many thanks to the Royal Academy of Medicine for awarding the Prof. Dr. Bernard Sabbe Award in Clinical Psychiatry to my PhD thesis.
Read my thesis here: doi.org/10.13140/RG....
Reposted by Nicolas Leenaerts
Are you an ESM item measuring the quality of social experiences looking for validation? 👀
Because if you are, I've got some bad news for you. Our new preprint is out: osf.io/preprints/ps...
@gudruneisele.bsky.social @ginettelafit.bsky.social @lisapeeters.bsky.social @oliviajkirtley.bsky.social
Because if you are, I've got some bad news for you. Our new preprint is out: osf.io/preprints/ps...
@gudruneisele.bsky.social @ginettelafit.bsky.social @lisapeeters.bsky.social @oliviajkirtley.bsky.social
OSF
osf.io
September 29, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Are you an ESM item measuring the quality of social experiences looking for validation? 👀
Because if you are, I've got some bad news for you. Our new preprint is out: osf.io/preprints/ps...
@gudruneisele.bsky.social @ginettelafit.bsky.social @lisapeeters.bsky.social @oliviajkirtley.bsky.social
Because if you are, I've got some bad news for you. Our new preprint is out: osf.io/preprints/ps...
@gudruneisele.bsky.social @ginettelafit.bsky.social @lisapeeters.bsky.social @oliviajkirtley.bsky.social
Want a taste of Flemish culture? A mayor secretly used municipal facilities to meet his girlfriend without paying the rental fee. A deontological commission ruled he can stay in office, but he must pay the rent owed.
vrtnws.be/p.Bl8P0Nao3
vrtnws.be/p.Bl8P0Nao3
Burgemeester van Zulte moet 3.525 euro huurgeld betalen omdat hij gemeentelijke zalen gebruikte voor afspraakjes met vriendin | VRT NWS: nieuws
De burgemeester van Zulte, Simon Lagrange (Open Zulte), moet 3.525 euro betalen, omdat hij bijna 50 keer stiekem de gemeentelijke zalen gebruikte voor afspraakjes met zijn nieuwe vriendin. Maar ze bet...
vrtnws.be
September 25, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Want a taste of Flemish culture? A mayor secretly used municipal facilities to meet his girlfriend without paying the rental fee. A deontological commission ruled he can stay in office, but he must pay the rent owed.
vrtnws.be/p.Bl8P0Nao3
vrtnws.be/p.Bl8P0Nao3
What’s a psychiatrist doing in computer science?
It’s a question I keep getting in the U.S. Luckily, the answer is clear to me: AI holds enormous potential for mental health, but it’s up to us, as clinicians, to guide it in the right direction.
Read more in my latest blog post!
It’s a question I keep getting in the U.S. Luckily, the answer is clear to me: AI holds enormous potential for mental health, but it’s up to us, as clinicians, to guide it in the right direction.
Read more in my latest blog post!
What’s a psychiatrist doing in computer science? - English
At yet another welcome event at Harvard, I get ready to repeat my introduction again. In short: I am a psychiatrist from Belgium, and I will be working for a year as a postdoctoral researcher in compu...
nicolasleenaerts.github.io
September 21, 2025 at 7:06 PM
What’s a psychiatrist doing in computer science?
It’s a question I keep getting in the U.S. Luckily, the answer is clear to me: AI holds enormous potential for mental health, but it’s up to us, as clinicians, to guide it in the right direction.
Read more in my latest blog post!
It’s a question I keep getting in the U.S. Luckily, the answer is clear to me: AI holds enormous potential for mental health, but it’s up to us, as clinicians, to guide it in the right direction.
Read more in my latest blog post!
It is imperative that all students working with me watch a compilation of funny vine video's.
Otherwise you won't understand my memes 😭
Otherwise you won't understand my memes 😭
September 20, 2025 at 1:11 PM
It is imperative that all students working with me watch a compilation of funny vine video's.
Otherwise you won't understand my memes 😭
Otherwise you won't understand my memes 😭
Final paper of my PhD got published! 🥳
We investigated whether stress increases the desire for immediately available food or alcohol in patients with bulimia nervosa or alcohol use disorder.
Check it out here:
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
We investigated whether stress increases the desire for immediately available food or alcohol in patients with bulimia nervosa or alcohol use disorder.
Check it out here:
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
The effect of stress on delay discounting in female patients with early-onset bulimia nervosa and alcohol use disorder: functional magnetic resonance imaging study | BJPsych Open | Cambridge Core
The effect of stress on delay discounting in female patients with early-onset bulimia nervosa and alcohol use disorder: functional magnetic resonance imaging study - Volume 11 Issue 5
www.cambridge.org
September 12, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Final paper of my PhD got published! 🥳
We investigated whether stress increases the desire for immediately available food or alcohol in patients with bulimia nervosa or alcohol use disorder.
Check it out here:
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
We investigated whether stress increases the desire for immediately available food or alcohol in patients with bulimia nervosa or alcohol use disorder.
Check it out here:
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
I love reinforcement learning, but the most annoying part about reading RL papers is the variety in nomenclature and how some authors seem to go out of their way to use specific terms and symbols in their papers...
Oh and everybody needs to give a new fancy name to their algorithm...
Oh and everybody needs to give a new fancy name to their algorithm...
September 8, 2025 at 9:03 PM
I love reinforcement learning, but the most annoying part about reading RL papers is the variety in nomenclature and how some authors seem to go out of their way to use specific terms and symbols in their papers...
Oh and everybody needs to give a new fancy name to their algorithm...
Oh and everybody needs to give a new fancy name to their algorithm...
Reposted by Nicolas Leenaerts
Paper accepted today in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, "Establishing minimally sufficient conditions reduces the complexity of symptom presentations in DSM internalizing disorders." A quick thread, below. (link is to a PDF on the paper's OSF page) 1/15
osf.io/fxdm6
osf.io/fxdm6
OSF
osf.io
September 1, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Paper accepted today in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, "Establishing minimally sufficient conditions reduces the complexity of symptom presentations in DSM internalizing disorders." A quick thread, below. (link is to a PDF on the paper's OSF page) 1/15
osf.io/fxdm6
osf.io/fxdm6
Never thought I'd be working with Lagrangian multipliers, but here I am!
August 29, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Never thought I'd be working with Lagrangian multipliers, but here I am!
I have fully embraced being over thirty. There was a fresh salmon promo in the grocery store and I was ecstatic ☺️.
August 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
I have fully embraced being over thirty. There was a fresh salmon promo in the grocery store and I was ecstatic ☺️.
Reposted by Nicolas Leenaerts
#SAA2026 key dates:
📭 abstract submissions will open 1 December 2025 and close 16 January 2026
📨 acceptance notifications will be sent at the end of March 2026 - registration will open at the same time
🦜 early bird registration will close at the end of April 2026
univie.eventsair.com/saa2026/
📭 abstract submissions will open 1 December 2025 and close 16 January 2026
📨 acceptance notifications will be sent at the end of March 2026 - registration will open at the same time
🦜 early bird registration will close at the end of April 2026
univie.eventsair.com/saa2026/
August 22, 2025 at 6:56 AM
#SAA2026 key dates:
📭 abstract submissions will open 1 December 2025 and close 16 January 2026
📨 acceptance notifications will be sent at the end of March 2026 - registration will open at the same time
🦜 early bird registration will close at the end of April 2026
univie.eventsair.com/saa2026/
📭 abstract submissions will open 1 December 2025 and close 16 January 2026
📨 acceptance notifications will be sent at the end of March 2026 - registration will open at the same time
🦜 early bird registration will close at the end of April 2026
univie.eventsair.com/saa2026/
Just spent way too long coding an R function that makes violin plots of SHAP values, where the violins are color-graded based on the original feature’s value at each SHAP value. My hate for the standard bee plots drove me to this ...
Reach out to get the code now or wait until the publication ;)
Reach out to get the code now or wait until the publication ;)
August 14, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Just spent way too long coding an R function that makes violin plots of SHAP values, where the violins are color-graded based on the original feature’s value at each SHAP value. My hate for the standard bee plots drove me to this ...
Reach out to get the code now or wait until the publication ;)
Reach out to get the code now or wait until the publication ;)
Updated my website! You can now read about my current research project, where I will use off-policy methods for reinforcement learning to identify how we can help people manage their craving in daily life!
The Github repo's on prediction models are also still available!
nicolasleenaerts.github.io
The Github repo's on prediction models are also still available!
nicolasleenaerts.github.io
Home
nicolasleenaerts.github.io
August 13, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Updated my website! You can now read about my current research project, where I will use off-policy methods for reinforcement learning to identify how we can help people manage their craving in daily life!
The Github repo's on prediction models are also still available!
nicolasleenaerts.github.io
The Github repo's on prediction models are also still available!
nicolasleenaerts.github.io
Getting the proofs of your article is like getting a present 😍
And the gift is discovering how many changes they made that were wrong and you now have to spend time to correct 🤯
And the gift is discovering how many changes they made that were wrong and you now have to spend time to correct 🤯
August 12, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Getting the proofs of your article is like getting a present 😍
And the gift is discovering how many changes they made that were wrong and you now have to spend time to correct 🤯
And the gift is discovering how many changes they made that were wrong and you now have to spend time to correct 🤯
So we meet again.
Loved to eat the orange chicken and the honey-walnut shrimp again.
Loved to eat the orange chicken and the honey-walnut shrimp again.
August 2, 2025 at 10:31 PM
So we meet again.
Loved to eat the orange chicken and the honey-walnut shrimp again.
Loved to eat the orange chicken and the honey-walnut shrimp again.
Never thought I'd say these words, but it's my first day at Harvard! Looking forward to delve into reinforcement learning for JITAIs.
August 1, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Never thought I'd say these words, but it's my first day at Harvard! Looking forward to delve into reinforcement learning for JITAIs.
Today is the day that I can finally call myself a psychiatrist! After 14 years, my residency has come to an end, and what a journey it was. I feel so grateful for all the people who have supported me!
July 31, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Today is the day that I can finally call myself a psychiatrist! After 14 years, my residency has come to an end, and what a journey it was. I feel so grateful for all the people who have supported me!
Just finished my final time being on call before I graduate!
July 9, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Just finished my final time being on call before I graduate!