Lab Director
Matteo Giletta founded the Phase Lab in 2020 after taking up his position as an associate professor at the Department of General and Applied Psychology at Ghent University. Matteo's broader research interests centre around the study of peer relations during adolescence, with a particular focus on the role of biological processes (e.g., inflammation) in the interplay between peer experiences (dyadic and social networks) and youth mental and physical health. In 2017, Matteo was awarded the APS Rising Star Award - a research recognition for outstanding early-career scientists. He currently holds an ERC Starting Grant (Outside-In) for a longitudinal project aimed at identifying the psychological and biological mechanisms underlying the consequences of bullying victimisation.
To connect with Prof. Dr. Matteo Giletta via his LinkedIn account, click here.
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Jolien Braet joined the Phase Lab in the fall of 2020 as a PhD student and obtained her PhD in May 2025. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher on the Breathe to Thrive FWO project. Her research focuses on emotion regulation and mental well-being in adolescents, examining how everyday strategies such as rumination and distraction influence mood and psychological functioning. Building on this work, she now investigates how slow breathing can support mental health through physiological and emotional mechanisms, including heart rate variability, brain activity, and emotional dynamics in daily life. She has contributed to several projects, including a BOF-funded PhD project and the Outside-In project, both centered on emotion regulation. Methodologically, she has a strong interest in psychophysiology and experience sampling methods to study emotional processes in real-world contexts, and she aims to translate her findings into tools applicable in clinical practice.
PhD Student
Emmelien joined the Phase lab team in 2025 after she completed her studies in Experimental Psychology at KULeuven. She works on the JEZ!-funded project BREATHE to develop an easily accessible app to aid adolescents with stress regulation. To this extent, she is conducting a slow-paced breathing intervention to assess its influence on both physiological (heart rate variability) and psychological stress-related outcomes (subjective measures). Fluctuations in daily affect are measured through ecological momentary assessments. She also conducts focus groups together with the adolescents to gain proper insight into what motivates them to complete the intervention at home.
PhD Student
Tong Lin joined the Phase Lab as a PhD student in the fall of 2025. She holds a master's degree in School Counseling from Beijing Normal University, where she developed a strong interest in adolescent psychology. Her research focuses on the links between peer dynamics and adolescent well-being. Specifically, she is exploring how different levels of the peer context shape the development of adolescents' growth mindsets. Ultimately, her work aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of adolescents' social worlds and their implications for youth potential and resilience.
PhD Student
Lara joined the Phase Lab as a PhD student in 2026 after she completed her master's degree in Clinical Psychology. She investigates how adolescents can become more resilient in dealing with stress. Her research focuses on two interventions: fostering adaptive mindsets about stress and emotions, and teaching resonant breathing techniques to help regulate physiological stress responses. She examines the individual effects of both interventions, as well as the potential added value of combining them. By studying both psychological and physiological processes, Lara aims to gain a deeper understanding of how resilience develops in adolescence and how effective interventions can be designed to promote young people's mental well-being.
PhD Student
2020-2025
PhD Student
2020-2025
We also work with interns from UGent and Thomas More.