Lecturer in Psychology
<p>Dr Rosa Hoekstra is a lecturer in The Open University's Science faculty. After completing her PhD in Behavior Genetics at the VU University in Amsterdam, she continued her research at Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre. Since 2009 she combines her autism research with teaching in the fields of Psychology and Genetics.</p><p>Her academic interests broadly cover three themes:<br />i) Furthering the understanding of the heterogeneity of autism, by developing quantitative instruments to assess the variable expression of the autism phenotype, and exploring the genetic and environmental influences on the autism phenotype using both twin and family study designs.<br />ii) The epidemiology of autism and understanding the factors that may account for regional differences in autism prevalence rates.<br />iii) Global perspectives on autism, with a special focus on Africa.</p><p>At The Open University, she chairs the topic'Human Genetics and Health Issues’ of the level 1 module'S142 Topics in Science' and she teaches the module‘SK124 Understanding the Autism Spectrum’, a highly successful introductory autism course attracting over 1,000 students annually. She co-authored the textbook for this module, which is co-published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers as Roth, I., Barson, C., Hoekstra, R.A., Pasco, G., and Whatson, T.W., 2010. The Autism Spectrum in the 21st Century: Exploring Psychology, Biology and Practice.</p><p>She worked as an academic editor on The Open University’s<a href="http://www8.open.ac.uk/africa/heat/">Health Education And Training</a>(HEAT) project in Ethiopia and had the prime responsibility for the production of the mental health study sessions for this project, working intensively with a group of Ethiopian psychiatrists and mental health experts. She leads an<a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/grants/increasing-autism-awareness-ethiopia-heat-project" rel="nofollow">Autism Speaks</a>-funded study in collaboration with colleagues at Addis Ababa University evaluating the effectiveness of the HEAT mental health module in raising general mental health awareness and knowledge about autism. In response to the first findings of this study the research team produced<a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/about/international-development/news/tackling-mental-health-problems-and-autism-ethiopia">additional teaching materials</a>on mental health and childhood developmental disorders, which are free to use and<a href="http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/course/view.php?id=19">openly available</a>. For this work she won an Open University's<a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/per/?p=5463">Engaging Research Award</a>(2015).</p><p>She also leads a study that aims to develop a culturally appropriate autism screening tool for sub-Saharan Africa, again in collaboration with colleagues at Addis Ababa University. This research is funded by Hoekstra's<a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/research/main/news/ou-researcher-awarded-for-research-autism-africa">Slifka/Ritvo innovation in clinical autism research award</a>.</p><p>Please see the tab'Publications' for her publication list and links to the full text of peer-reviewed articles.</p>
Dr Rosa Anna Hoekstra
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Rosa Anna Hoekstra
Rosa Hoekstra
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<p>Dr Rosa Hoekstra is a lecturer in The Open University's Science faculty. After completing her PhD in Behavior Genetics at the VU University in Amsterdam, she continued her research at Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre. Since 2009 she combines her autism research with teaching in the fields of Psychology and Genetics.</p><p>Her academic interests broadly cover three themes:<br />i) Furthering the understanding of the heterogeneity of autism, by developing quantitative instruments to assess the variable expression of the autism phenotype, and exploring the genetic and environmental influences on the autism phenotype using both twin and family study designs.<br />ii) The epidemiology of autism and understanding the factors that may account for regional differences in autism prevalence rates.<br />iii) Global perspectives on autism, with a special focus on Africa.</p><p>At The Open University, she chairs the topic'Human Genetics and Health Issues’ of the level 1 module'S142 Topics in Science' and she teaches the module‘SK124 Understanding the Autism Spectrum’, a highly successful introductory autism course attracting over 1,000 students annually. She co-authored the textbook for this module, which is co-published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers as Roth, I., Barson, C., Hoekstra, R.A., Pasco, G., and Whatson, T.W., 2010. The Autism Spectrum in the 21st Century: Exploring Psychology, Biology and Practice.</p><p>She worked as an academic editor on The Open University’s<a href="http://www8.open.ac.uk/africa/heat/">Health Education And Training</a>(HEAT) project in Ethiopia and had the prime responsibility for the production of the mental health study sessions for this project, working intensively with a group of Ethiopian psychiatrists and mental health experts. She leads an<a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/grants/increasing-autism-awareness-ethiopia-heat-project" rel="nofollow">Autism Speaks</a>-funded study in collaboration with colleagues at Addis Ababa University evaluating the effectiveness of the HEAT mental health module in raising general mental health awareness and knowledge about autism. In response to the first findings of this study the research team produced<a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/about/international-development/news/tackling-mental-health-problems-and-autism-ethiopia">additional teaching materials</a>on mental health and childhood developmental disorders, which are free to use and<a href="http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/course/view.php?id=19">openly available</a>. For this work she won an Open University's<a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/per/?p=5463">Engaging Research Award</a>(2015).</p><p>She also leads a study that aims to develop a culturally appropriate autism screening tool for sub-Saharan Africa, again in collaboration with colleagues at Addis Ababa University. This research is funded by Hoekstra's<a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/research/main/news/ou-researcher-awarded-for-research-autism-africa">Slifka/Ritvo innovation in clinical autism research award</a>.</p><p>Please see the tab'Publications' for her publication list and links to the full text of peer-reviewed articles.</p>