Criminologist Jelle Lamsma has received a Veni grant for his research project 'Uncovering the pathways to violent behavior in schizophrenia: a life-course criminological approach integrating neuroscience and forensic psychiatry'.
Lamsma aims to uncover how neurobiological, psychological, and environmental factors interact over time to contribute to violent behavior in individuals with schizophrenia.
Addressing a pressing societal issue
Violent behavior in schizophrenia remains poorly understood, despite its significant social impact. The main reason for this is that potential causes—such as brain abnormalities, symptoms of the disorder, drug misuse and social adversity—have not yet been studied in an integrated, life-course framework.
Mapping developmental pathways to violence
By combining insights from neuroscience, forensic psychiatry, and criminology, Lamsma seeks to unravel how neurobiological, psychological and environmental risk factors influence each other over the life course and result in violent behavior. He will leverage large-scale datasets from international collaborations, including the ENIGMA consortium and King’s College London. He is also establishing a collaboration with the Netherlands Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (NIFP) to include their data in the project. Using machine learning and other advanced statistical techniques, he will map abnormalities in brain networks and model potential pathways to violence.
Towards better prediction and treatment
The findings will provide valuable insights into the relationship between schizophrenia and violence. “With this knowledge, practitioners will be able to identify risk factors earlier and intervene more effectively,” says Lamsma. “It will also inform policy development and support judicial decision making- for example, in the interpretation of brain scans in criminal cases.”
Veni Grant
The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded a Veni grant to Jelle Lamsma. Over the next three years, this funding will enable him to further develop his research on violent behavior in individuals with schizophrenia.
The Veni grant gives researchers the opportunity to conduct innovative, curiosity-driven research based on their own ideas. The program encourages creativity and contributes to the development of knowledge essential for the society of tomorrow. With a maximum grant of €320,000, NWO supports researchers from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds.
In awarding the Veni grant, NWO assesses the scientific quality and innovative character of the proposal, the expected scientific and societal impact, and the qualifications of the researcher. The Veni is intended for talented researchers who have recently obtained their PhD and represents an important step in an academic career. Together with the Vidi and Vici grants, the Veni forms part of NWO’s Talent Program.