Dongning Ren Assistant Professor of Social Psychology Maastricht University
I am a social psychologist with dual expertise in both substantive research and methodology. My substantive work examines inequality and diversity, mental health and well-being, and the dynamics of social connections and solitude. My methodological research focuses on making causal inference methods accessible, with the goal of enhancing the precision, rigor, and policy relevance of psychological science.
I earned my PhD from Purdue University (USA). Prior to joining Maastricht University (Netherlands), I held faculty positions at Tilburg University (Netherlands) and Emory University (USA).My work has been supported by funding from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). I am a recipient of the 2024 Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science (APS).
I'm working on a ZonMw-funded, interdisciplinary projectat the intersection of causal inference, public mental health, and social psychology. My recent work was featured here: