Dr. Yunzhi Li - Radiologist & PhD student

Jurjen Luykx

I'm an internationally oriented psychiatrist with a research background in psychiatric genetics and a broad interest in neurobiological, clinical, environmental, and societal issues related to (neuro)psychiatry. I enjoy conducting collaborative work in teams of researchers and clinicians, focusing on clinical trials, real-world studies and neuropsychiatric genetics with applicability to the clinic. I have experience in the clinical field of neuropsychiatry, in supervising students as well as residents, in managing teams, and in conducting biomedical as well as more clinically-focused research. 

I studied medicine and Italian language and culture at Utrecht University, as well as in Naples, Madrid, Nicaragua, and Mexico. During my one-year training in neurogenetics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) I developed an interest in psychiatric genetics. The graduate courses, statistical analyses and interviewing of patients have enabled me to build up expertise in psychiatric genetics topics. Upon my return from California I was given the opportunity to combine a PhD program in psychiatric genetics (completed in March 2013) with my residency in psychiatry at UMCU (finished in June 2012). During my PhD project I demonstrated how targeting CSF deepens the understanding of behavioral and genetic mechanisms in those not suffering from severe mental illness.

After finishing my PhD, I moved to the department of Translational Neuroscience at UMCU where I headed the Psychiatric Genetics Program of the Human Neurogenetics Unit for 6 years from 2014. In 2023 I moved to Amsterdam UMC where I do my research and to GGZ InGeest for my clinical activities. 

In my free time, I enjoy taking photos of events, people or places that fascinate or appeal to him.