Cesar Vroom

Short CV

• 2014-current PhD Behavioral Genetics, VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam
• 2012-2014 Statistics teacher, VU University Amsterdam
  Teacher in Statistics and Methodology practical sessions for second and third year psychology and pedagogy students
• 2010-2012 Student-assistant for Steven Scholte, University of Amsterdam, Spinoza Centre, fMRI scanassistent
• 2010, 2011 Student-assistant for Hilde Huizenga, University of Amsterdam
  Teacher in Statistics practical sessions for Developmental Psychology master students
• 2009-2012 Researchmaster Psychology (Cum Laude), University of Amsterdam
  Major: Statistics and Research Methods, Minor: Brain and Cognition
• 2006-2009 Bachelor Psychology, University of Amsterdam
  Specialization: Brain and Cognition

Research

In genetics research, often researchers use a dichotomous score or a univariate sumscore as a phenotypic outcome variable, while the underlying system leading to the dichotomous score or univariate sumscore is usually of a more complex multivariate nature. In addition, complex phenotypes are often treated as static outcomes, while the underlying system leading to the static outcome is a dynamic process. Modelling the complexity, possible heterogeneity, and dynamics of behavior will not only give a more realistic representation of the trait-generating genotype-phenotype model, but will also increase the statistical power to detect the associated genes.
To enable the shift towards genetic studies of complex, dynamic traits, new methods need to be developed and tested, and current methods need to be extended: this is the aim of my PhD project.