We are confronted on a daily basis with news about the Corona virus and its consequences. We read alarming headlines like 'Dutch becoming increasingly anxious about Corona virus' or 'Huge fears and stress about Corona crisis'.

Andrea Evers, Professor of Health Psychology at Leiden University, has won the Stevin Prize – alongside the Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands. She is the third social scientist from Leiden in a row to win one of these prizes. ‘Leiden attracts freethinkers.’

Positive expectations about a medicine may help it to work more effectively, even if you tell patients about this placebo effect. The reverse, the nocebo effect, works in the same way. Health psychologist Stefanie Meeuwis found evidence for this in various studies. PhD defence 3 June.

Sometimes fake medicine is enough to cure a patient. But how exactly do placebos work? And did you know that there is also the placebo effect in reverse, the nocebo effect? Psychologist Stefanie Meeuwis explains in this Science Shot.

Tuesday 21 April 2020 we heard that most of the Corona measures will remain in place until at least 20 May 2020. Dean Paul Wouters emphasizes the power of education and research within the social sciences in times of intelligent lockdown.

Lecture, LIBC Sylvius Lecture