Sara De Witte

Sara De Witte is a postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), affiliated with the Neuroprotection and Neuromodulation (NEUR) research group within the Center for Neuroscience (C4N). She coordinates Alzheimer’s disease research within NEUR, collaborating closely with the neurology and psychiatry departments, as well as the Bru-BRAIN memory clinic at UZ Brussel. In addition, she maintains an ongoing affiliation with the Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab at Ghent University, where she completed her Ph.D. and continues as an associated researcher.

Sara obtained her Ph.D. in Health Sciences in November 2023 at Ghent University. Her doctoral research, titled Unraveling Stress Regulation Mechanisms Using Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Techniques Applied to the Left DLPFC, focused on understanding stress adaptation mechanisms through personalized brain stimulation. She contributed to the development of a stepped-care treatment protocol for severe melancholic depression, integrating neurostimulation, pharmacotherapy, and cognitive training. In collaboration with the veterinary department in Merelbeke, she also explored the use of non-invasive brain stimulation in the treatment of anxiety-related aggression in dogs.

Drawing on her training in clinical psychology (Ghent University, 2014) and her certification as a clinical neuropsychologist (interuniversity PEV program – VUB, Ghent University, KU Leuven, 2025), Sara combines neuroscience and clinical practice in a translational approach.