Today, we are extremely happy and proud to share with you the news that Anna Maria (Ania) Fiksinski has obtained the grade of Ph.D in psychology from UMC Utrecht (Utrecht University), following her studies with 22q11 patients and their families. This doctoral dissertation comes on top of years of research on 22q11, that has enabled both families and health practitioners to better support 22q11 patients in their daily lives, in their education and in their care.
Ania has started her PhD in 2016. During 4 years, she coordinated the 22q11DS psychiatry study in Utrecht and helped initiate and execute a novel study including families of individuals with 22q11DS, in the Netherlands and in Canada. The focus of her PhD was to better understand (trajectories of) neurobehavioral traits in individuals with 22q11DS. Her research lead to multiple papers about typical phenotypic expressions of 22q11, risk predictions, as well as pediatric psychiatric outcomes.
Ania was awarded several grants and prizes that supported her research and international collaborations. She is also actively involved in patient/ family organizations for 22q11DS, both on a national and international level. She acts as an Advisor to the International 22q11DS Society. We are looking forward to her continuing academic career in combination with continued clinical specialization as a psychologist.
Congratulations, Doctor Ania !