# Vincent Tijms (@vtijms.eurosky.social)

Profile: https://sifa.id/p/vtijms.eurosky.social
Headline: Educational Adviser GenAI and Assessment

## About

Cognitive neuroscientist by training, with an interest in social and romantic bonding. Dabbled in writing and beer brewing, now deep into the arcane world of higher education. Currently working on how to adapt university education to GenAI while promoting critical thinking.

## Career

- **Educational Adviser GenAI and Assessment at University of Amsterdam** (May 2026 - Present)
  Full-time · On-site
- **Workshop Facilitator at Kritisch Denken** (Nov 2017 - Present)
  Freelance · On-site
  I teach workshops and hold lectures on critical thinking and belief formation.
- **Programme Coordinator at University of Amsterdam** (Aug 2016 - Jun 2026)
  Part-time
  I led a team to organise the interdisciplinary research master Brain and Cognitive Sciences and played a central role in keeping teachers, students, faculty and relevant committees aligned to maintain a research-intensive, effective curriculum.
- **Brewmaster at Brouwerij de Pomp** (2011 - Oct 2020)
  Self-employed
- **Writer/editor at Self-employed** (Jul 2011 - Jan 2018)
  Freelance
- **Junior Teacher at University of Amsterdam** (Jan 2011 - Aug 2015)
  Temporary · On-site

## Projects

- **Functional Connectivity in Major Depressive Disorder Patients** (Mar 2010 - Oct 2010)
  In this research internship I explored and implemented different models of functional and effective connectivity in SPM5/MATLAB, in order to analyse BOLD-based connectivity measures using task-based fMRI (facial emotion recognition task).
- **The Soft Machine: Oxytocin and Bonding** (Jun 2010 - Aug 2010)
  This literature research gave a mechanistic overview of the often-touted 'social peptide' oxytocin and compared behavioral neuroscientific findings from the animal literature to cognitive neuroscientific and behavioral findings from the human literature.
- **Oscillations in orbitofrontal cortex** (Oct 2007 - Jul 2008)
  A research internship, in which I familiarized myself with animal training (two-odour discrimination as a decision-making task) neurophysiological measurement techniques (most notably, in vivo tetrode recordings and local field potential measurements), manipulations (embedded probe dialysis of NMDA receptor antagonists) data analysis (cluster cutting, frequency analysis) and the accompanying MATLAB scripting. I also piloted an experiment to do on-line quantifications of dialysis using high-performance liquid chromatography. The internship also introduced me to the workings of the orbitofrontal cortex and its role in decision-making.
- **The Role of IsiA Protein in Cyanobacterial Light Harvesting** (Feb 2004 - May 2004)
  Internship at Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics. Performed research on the photosynthetic apparatus of cyanobacteria. Tasks performed included cultivation of various strains under different environmental conditions, analysing growth and measuring photosynthetic activity via oxygen electrodes, PAM fluorescence measurements and optical density spectroscopy.

## Publications

- NMDA Receptors Control Cue-Outcome Selectivity and Plasticity of Orbitofrontal Firing Patterns during Associative Stimulus-Reward Learning — Neuron (Nov 2012) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089662731200949X

## Skills

### Interpersonal
- Critical Thinking
- Research
- Teaching
### Other
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Craft Beer
- Neuroscience
- Science

## Credentials

- University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) — University of Amsterdam (Jul 2015)

## Education

- **University of Amsterdam** — MSc, Cognitive Neuroscience (Sep 2008 - Jan 2010)
  I specialized in neuroimaging methods and behavioral neurobiology. My research projects focused on cognitive control, flexible behaviour and decision-making. I wrote my thesis on the comparative biology of the oxytocin system and its role in psychopathology.

## Courses

- Machine Learning (Stanford Online Course)
- Online Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (Stanford Online Course)

## Involvement

### Volunteering
- Amsterdam University Association (Jun 2026 - Present)
  Amsterdam, North Holland, NL
  Board Member
- Alumni Network Brain and Cognitive Sciences (Nov 2015 - Present)
  Amsterdam, North Holland, NL
  Board Member
- TEDxAmsterdam (Nov 2012)
  Event Support
- Nudge.nl (Aug 2011 - Oct 2012)
  Coordinator
  Help out establishing local initiatives to promote the use of solar energy in home environments.
- TEDxAmsterdam (Nov 2011)
  Event Support

## Languages

- Dutch (native)
- English (full professional)

## Links

- linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vtijms
- Fediverse: https://social.edu.nl/@vtijms (verified)