Dr. Esther Mertens
Main Focus
Esther Mertens is interested in unravelling the active “ingredients” of mental health and behavioral intervention programs, with a specific enthusiasm for technological applications within such programs.
Curriculum Vitae
Her research interest for intervention programs and their components was evoked during her PhD at Utrecht University. After obtaining her PhD (2021), Mertens worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University on the FutureU project of Prof. Dr. Dr. Van Gelder (2021–2024). In this project, she specialized in intervention programs implemented via smartphone applications and Virtual Reality. She joined the MPI in April 2024 as a postdoctoral researcher where she will continue her specialization in technology-based intervention programs addressing mental health and behavior.