prof. dr. Erik Scherder

About Erik Scherder

Erik Scherder is a professor of Clinical Neuropsychology and head of the department of the same name at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He is also a professor of Movement Sciences at the University of Groningen. Both universities awarded him the teaching prize, partly determined by students. He is described as an inspiring speaker, and his research focuses primarily on the positive effects of movement on the functioning of our brain.

In April 2015, Erik Scherder also delivered a series of 3 lectures during DWDD University about the brain. He has won the VU Teaching Award multiple times. The jury wrote, among other things: Erik is one of the few teachers whose students have attended almost all lectures. No matter how enjoyable the previous evening was or how late it became, you do not skip Scherder’s lectures.

He completed his training as a physiotherapist in the late 1970s and then worked at the Valerius Clinic in Amsterdam.
He then studied psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specializing in neuropsychology, where he obtained his PhD in 1995. In 2002, he was appointed as a special professor at that same university. This was followed by an appointment as a professor of Movement Sciences at the University of Groningen (RuG). A few years later, he returned to VU in Amsterdam, where he has since led the clinical neuropsychology department as a professor.

In 2013, he was invited to collaborate with the University of the Netherlands. Following this, he received invitations for De Wereld Draait Door and in 2015 also three episodes of DWDD University, which focused on the functioning and disorders/conditions of the brain. His book, Don’t Let Your Brain Sit, which describes the influence of movement on the brain, was also published in 2014.

In 2016, Scherder received the Betto Deelman Prize for his exceptional contributions as a neuropsychologist and his contribution to the field of neuropsychology in the Netherlands. In 2017, Erik Scherder was appointed Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau. His book Singing in the Brain, about the influence of music on our brains, was also published. In 2018, Erik Scherder was appointed a member of the Dutch Sports Council.

Erik Scherder leads the research program Neuropsychology of Neurodegenerative Diseases at VU. This program includes several research areas.

In addition to the theme of movement, Scherder is also interested in the influence of music on various cognitive processes. He was involved in research on the influence of music lessons on children’s intellectual abilities, and a study examining the impact of rap music on adolescents’ emotions. He also spoke on this topic during a lecture for the University of the Netherlands and special ‘concert lectures’ at, among others, the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 2017, he also published a book on this subject, titled Singing in the Brain.

In 2021, the Open University awarded an honorary doctorate to Prof. Dr. Erik Scherder. He received the honorary doctorate for his significant contributions as a connector between science and society.