Dr. Marlies Maes

Marlies Maes is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science: Youth Studies. Her research focuses on loneliness among youth. Marlies aims to understand why some adolescents feel lonely and continue to feel lonely, while others do not. In addition, she focuses in her work on the conceptualization and measurement of (different types of) loneliness. Fascinated by the complexity and impact of loneliness, Marlies collaborates in several inter- and transdisciplinary loneliness projects, including an international project focusing on persistent loneliness and a project focusing on loneliness among youth in the upper grades of primary school.

Why do some youth get stuck in loneliness and what is needed to prevent that from happening?

Marlies Maes has been a member of the Utrecht Young Academy, a bridge between young and talented researchers, since 2026.