After obtaining Master of Science degrees in *Sociology* (2008) and *Pedagogical and Educational Sciences* (2011), dr. Daphne van de Bongardt received her Ph.D. degree (2015) at Utrecht University for her **doctoral dissertation** entitled “Developing adolescent sexuality in context: Relations with parents and peers”. Her Ph.D. research project was part of the first large-scale longitudinal study on adolescent relational and sexual development in the Netherlands (**Project STARS**; funded by NWO). In this project, she investigated how adolescents develop their sexuality (behaviors, cognitions, emotions) in the context of relations with parents and peers.  

Her **current research line **reflects her multi-disciplinary background, and focuses on biopsychosocial correlates of normative//risky//positive aspects of adolescents' and young adults' relational and sexual developmental and health, with a strong focus on different social contexts (i.e., families, peer relations, partners, schools, media). In her studies, she utilizes multiple quantitative and qualitative **research methods** (e.g., longitudinal questionnaires, daily diaries, video-observations of dyadic interactions, semi-structured in-depth interviews, speed-dating, meta-analysis).  

Besides research, she teaches a bachelor practical "Interviewing skills" and a master course "Growing up with peers and social media", and supervises research internships and theses. She also regularly engages in media and broad audience activities (e.g., Universiteit van Nederland, TEDx, Lowlands Science).  

In 2017, she received a prestigious **Veni-grant **from NWO for her research project entitled “*Lovely sex or sexy love*?” In this new project, to be conducted in the next four years, she will investigate how relational and sexual developments are intertwined; within individuals (across time) *and *within young romantic couples. In 2019, she received a grant from ZonMw for PhD project, studying the effectiveness of programs for boys and young men (with mild intellectual disability) about dating and sexual violence and psychosexual health ("Move Up!").  

Between 2018-2019, she was General Board Member of the *Dutch Scientific Society for Sexology* (NVVS). Currently, she is a second-time member of the Advisory Committee of the "Prevalence Monitor Domestic and Sexual Violence" by the WODC and CBS. She is also the founder of the interdisciplinary Peer Relations Researchers Network of Erasmus University Rotterdam (PRR-EUR), and the Project Lead of the interdisciplinary Erasmus Love Lab.