Researcher

Prof. M.H.J. (Manon) Hillegers, MD, PhD

Head of Department Child & Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology and principal investigator

Focus area
Mood disorders, Deep phenotyping, prediction and intervention, eHealth

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Prof. M.H.J. (Manon) Hillegers, MD, PhD

About Prof. M.H.J. (Manon) Hillegers, MD, PhD

Introduction

Prof. dr. Manon Hillegers is Head of Department and an experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist (inter)nationally acknowledged for her expertise in youth (at risk for) bipolar mood and psychotic disorders. She is currently the principal investigator in several longitudinal studies in pediatric populations (MARIO, Generation R, eHealthJunior & PROTECtME). Her research interests are deep phenotyping of emerging psychopathology, the development of staging and profiling models, studying risk and resilience mechanisms and developing innovative digital tools (Grow It app) to identify and prevent mood problems. She is an ESCAP board member and the chair of the board of the Sophia children’s hospital (part of the Erasmus Medical Center).

Field(s) of expertise

Her fields of expertise are; Offspring at high familial risk for depression, bipolar and psychotic disorders; understanding intergenerational transmission of severe mental illness. Prevention and intervention using experience sampling methods (ESM) in mHealth tools.

Education and career

2017-current: Head of department CAPP, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam.

2005-2017: Senior staff member UMC Utrecht.

2007: Doctorate (PhD) University of Groningen.

2006: Board certificate Child & Adolescent psychiatrist University Medical Center Utrecht.

2005: Board certificate Adult Psychiatrist Altrecht mentall health care, Utrecht.

1997: Medical doctor; University Utrecht.

Research activities

2017-present: Principal Investigator of the MARIO project: Mood and Resilience in Offspring. ZonMw onderzoeksprogramma GGZ, nr 60-63600-98-021.

2017-present: Principal Investigator Generation R study, Behavior and Cognition group.

2021-present: Principal investigator eHealth Junior Consortium.

2022-2024: Program lead “Transitions” within Health & Tech Convergence.

2023-current: PI convergence flagship PROTECtMe.

2020-current: ESCAP board member.

Publications

List of publications

Click here for a overview on PubMed.

Books, or contributions to books

1. Handboek bipolaire stoornissen, editor: prof.dr. R. Kupka, prof.dr. WA Nolen, dr. E. Knoppert. De Tijdstroom 2008. ISBN 978 90 5898 117 2

2. Handboek Schizofrenie, editor dr. W. Cahn, dr. L. Krabbendam, prof. dr. I. Myin-Germeys, dr. R. Bruggeman, prof. dr. L. de Haan. De Tijdstroom 2011 ISBN 978 90 5898 179 0.

3. Reichart CG., Hillegers MHJ, (2010) Psyfar Bipolaire stoornis bij kinderen

4. Hillegers MHJ., Reichart CG. (2010) Psyfar Bipolaire stoornis bij adolescenten

5. Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders Editors: Fred R. Volkmar; Springer reference Chapter mood disorders; M. Hillegers, K. van Aalst 2013 ISBN: 978 14 4191 697 6

6. Multidisciplinaire richtlijn bipolaire stoornissen, Derde, herziene versie, 2015: chapter bipolar disorder in children and adolescents: De Tijdstroom, ISBN 978 90 5898 275 9

7. Neuroprogression and Staging in Bipolar Disorder, 2015 Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-870999-2 Edited by Flávio Kapczinski, Eduard Vieta, Pedro V. S. Magalhães, and Michael Berk; Chapter: Staging systems in bipolar disorder, Ralph W. Kupka, Manon H. J. Hillegers and Jan Scott.

8. Leerboek ontwikkelingsstoornissen in de levensloop, editors: dr. W. Staal, dr. J. Vorstman, dr. RJ van der Gaag. De Tijdstroom 2016 ISBN 978 90 5898 292 6. Hoofdstuk 22 & 23 stemmingsstoornissen en bipolaire stoornissen.

9. Handboek kinder-en jeugdpsychiatrie ( lindauer en Staal redactie) Boom –de Tijdstroom 2022 hoofdstuk 16 en 17.

10. Handboek bipolaire stemmingsstoornissen, 2e editie, editors: prof.dr. R. Kupka, prof.dr. M.H.J. Hillegers, prof.dr. P. Sienaert, dr. M.A. Koenders. 2023

Teaching activities

Teaching

Involved in teaching at all levels from Bachelor to Post Doc at the Erasmus medical Center and EUR, Educationa programs for child and adolescent psychiatrists Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Social Science and NIHES board member.

2007-present: Teacher at several post academic educational programs on mood disorders during childhood and adolescents for general practitioners and pediatricians in the Netherlands. E.g. Benecke Jaarsymposium KJP; Shared Care, Najaars congres Bipolaire stoornissen, Psyfar, Lemion.

2016-present: Member of the editorial board “Handbook bipolaire stoornissen”edtions 2015 and 2020.

2023-current: Guideline Bipolar disorder.

Other positions

2025: Chair of the Thema Sophia

2020-2024: Board member BOPP-West RINO

Scholarships, grants, and awards

Honors and Awards

2007: Kamp Foundation award for thesis “Developing Bipolar Disorder; a follow-up study among children of patients with bipolar disorder”.

2011: Nominated “Toparts”; Dutch clinicians award for best MD in the field of psychiatry.

2014: Nominated Willem Nolen award for Bipolar Disorders.

2021: Erasmus MC-EUR nominee for Huijbregts prize.

2024: Ralph Kupka Penning 2024 acknowledgement by the Dutch Chapter of the ISBD (International Society of Bipolar Disorders) for high quality research in bipolar disorders: authors of “The Dutch Bipolar offspring study; 22 year follow- up” JAACAP 2024.

2017: The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) Hillegers/Penninx (PI) (grant 606360098021) MARIO Mood and Resilience in Offspring consortium (1,7mio)

2019: Sophia Research Foundation grant Hillegers/Legerstee (PI) Developing and testing identification and intervention tool in the early stages of emerging psychopathology of chronically ill children. (370k)

2019: Zon MW fellowship PI. E. Mesman (grant 636320009) Twenty year Follow-up Dutch Bipolar Offspring Study. Functional outcomes. Role Co-PI (360k)

2020: Sophia Children’s Hospital Research Foundation PI. Van Haren: (Grant 20140) Risk or resilience and the brain: a longitudinal MRI study in adolescents at familial high risk for severe mental illness. Role Co-investigator (220K)

2020: Zon Mw program JZOJP Hillegers (PI) (grant 60-64500-20) (197k)

2020: NWO fast track corona Grow It! App development and dissemination. (PI)

2021: eHealth Junior; Feeling good, despite illness. (NWO) Hillegers(PI) (grant NWA.1292.19.226) 01/01/2021-01/01/2029 Develop an eHealth platform with validated tools to support wellbeing in chronically ill children and prevent psychopathology. (5 Mio)

2021: Horizon 2020 FAMILY consortium ( van Haren PI, Hillegers collaborator) (11 Mio)

2022: agship PROTECtME Erasmus MC Convergence (co-PI) (4 Mio)

2023: Decision Tool jeugd GGZ ( 21.08.00066.SBSA Municipality of Rotterdam.

2022: Gravitation Grant Stress in Action Penninx PI ( Hillegers Erasmus MC site Co applicant) (20 Mio)

2023: NIH The impact of prenatal maternal infection and inflammation on human brain development and psychopathology during adolescence. 1 R01MH124776-01A1. V. Bergink PI (co-applicant).