Derek de Beurs is an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. He has dedicated nearly 15 years to studying suicidal behaviour, commencing with a PhD focusing on the training of professionals in suicide prevention. He not only worked at universities but also for the national government, and for national research institutes Nivel and Trimbos.
Currently, his research is centered on exploring the complexity of suicidal behaviour through network analysis, a pursuit for which he received an individual grant in 2017. In 2024 he received a grant from the centre of Urban Mental Health, focusing on computational modelling to further study the complexity of suicidal behavior.
Derek has authored over 80 peer-reviewed papers and has written a popular science book (in Dutch) on suicide prevention titled “Myths About Suicide.” And is “is het leven een 7?”. He has delivered numerous talks both nationally and internationally, spanning scientific and public forums, and serves as a member of the writing group responsible for updating the Dutch clinical guideline for suicidal behaviour. Within the UvA he is ambassador for the minor psychology in every day life, and teacher and coordinator of different courses.