Women's Journal

Menu

Dr. Elisabeth Thijssen: Bringing Early Alzheimer’s Detection Out of the Lab and Into Lives

Women's Journal Staff on December 3, 2025

By: Matt Emma

The Operating Principle: Excellence Only Matters If People Can Access It

Dr. Elisabeth Thijssen has built her career on a simple but demanding premise: scientific excellence only matters if people can access it. As Head of Science and Clinical Strategy at Neurogen Biomarking, she translates frontier research on brain health into products and programs that are clear, trustworthy, and usable. Her mandate is both exacting and pragmatic. Protect the integrity of the science. Remove friction for consumers. Align stakeholders around standards that earn confidence from clinicians and families alike.

From Curiosity to Translation: Turning Insight into Execution

Thijssen’s path began with an insight that still guides her work: actionable choices can influence brain-health trajectories. That early curiosity matured into a high-performance research career and then into a leadership philosophy centered on translation. She is explicit about priorities. Every Neurogen Biomarking offering must meet rigorous evidence thresholds, yet be delivered in a way that feels approachable and humane. In practice, this means pairing clinically grounded testing with intuitive collection methods, modern cognitive tools, and next-step guidance that connects people to expert care.

Orchestrating the Ecosystem: Aligning Partners Around a Common Standard

Her leadership is distinguished by intentional alignment and orchestration. Thijssen convenes diverse partners, laboratories, device innovators, neurologists, and community organizations, and gives them a common operating picture. She designed study frameworks, aligned on reference standards from the Alzheimer’s research community, and built governance that withstands scrutiny. Rather than championing technology in isolation, she positions each component in a responsible pathway: triage, counsel, and continue the journey with qualified experts including confirmatory testing. The result is not a single product. It is an ecosystem that scales trust.

Credible Voices, Measurable Confidence

Peers recognize both her rigor and her ability to move a field forward. Prof. Dr. Philip Scheltens, Partner and Head of the Dementia Fund at EQT Group in Amsterdam, notes, “Elisabeth has shown great leadership and deep scientific understanding while she did her PhD in Amsterdam. Really outstanding.” At the University of California, San Francisco, Assistant Professor Renaud La Joie also adds operational detail to the picture: “I worked very closely with Elisabeth when she was a PhD student… I was immediately struck by her scientific rigor and determination. She already showed fantastic leadership and collaboration skills, always building multidisciplinary teams and seeking critical feedback to improve the clinical relevance of her work.”

Operating Cadence: Build, Test, Share, Improve

Inside Neurogen, Thijssen’s impact shows up in the details: evidence maps that guide product decisions, validation plans that anticipate regulatory expectations, and community programs that meet people where they are. She has presented results on global stages and used that attention to recruit partners, strengthen advisory councils, and expand responsible access. The work is disciplined and iterative. Build. Test. Share. Improve. Repeat.

Human-Centered Strategy: Designing for Real Lives

What motivates her is not only the science but the human context around it. She brings that perspective to every decision, from study design to user experience. The outcome is a business that is as intentional as it is innovative, built to earn durable trust. In an era crowded with promises, Dr. Elisabeth Thijssen stands out for something rarer: the quiet, exacting leadership required to turn high-caliber research into solutions that reach people’s lives.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and Dr. Elisabeth Thijssen and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Neurogen Biomarking or any other affiliated organizations. The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. While Dr. Thijssen’s work in early Alzheimer’s detection is based on scientific research, it is important to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical advice and diagnoses. Neurogen Biomarking’s products and programs are subject to regulatory approval, and outcomes may vary based on individual circumstances.

 

The Paradigm Shift: Why Managing Your Teen’s Behavior Is the Wrong Goal (And What to Do Instead)

Women's Journal Staff on December 3, 2025

By: Carlos V. Tracy

Most parents of teenagers find themselves stuck in a reactive loop. They try to manage the outbursts, the rebellion, and the silence. They set stricter rules and deliver longer lectures, hoping for compliance. But according to parenting coach and author Anita Vangani, this approach is not only exhausting. It is fundamentally flawed. In her groundbreaking book, Confident Compass, Vangani presents a powerful argument. The real goal is not to manage your teen’s behavior. The goal is to transform the entire parent-teen dynamic. This requires a complete paradigm shift in how we see our role.

For years, the model of a “good parent” has been similar to a manager. A manager monitors performance, corrects mistakes, and enforces rules to ensure a desired outcome. This works well with young children. But it fails dramatically with teenagers. Why? Adolescence is all about the drive for independence and identity. When a parent acts as a manager, the teen’s developing brain sees a threat to their autonomy. This triggers resistance, not cooperation. The very need you are trying to control—their need to become their own person—is the very thing you are opposing.

The problem is also neurological. The part of a teen’s brain responsible for good judgment, the prefrontal cortex, is still under construction. Meanwhile, the emotional and reward centers are in overdrive. When you try to manage their behavior with logic and punishment, you are often speaking to a brain area that is offline. It is like trying to reason with someone while their computer is being rebooted. They simply cannot process the information in the calm, logical way you expect. This is not defiance. It is biology.

Anita Vangani offers a revolutionary alternative. She guides parents to make a profound shift. You must move from being a manager to becoming a coach. A manager controls. A coach empowers. A manager focuses on short-term results. A coach builds long-term capability. This is the core philosophy of Confident Compass. A coach does not shout commands from the sidelines. They stand beside the player, helping them understand the game, develop their skills, and build the confidence to make their own winning moves. This shift changes everything.

So, what does being a coach actually look like in daily life? It starts with changing your focus. Instead of asking, “How can I stop this bad behavior?” you learn to ask, “What is my teen trying to communicate? What skill do they need to learn here?” A coach prioritizes connection over control. This means listening to understand, not to correct. It means asking curious questions instead of issuing commands. It means allowing your teen to make some mistakes and face natural consequences, which are far more effective teachers than parental anger.

This approach is deeply grounded in Vangani’s expertise as a certified NLP coach. Neuro-Linguistic Programming provides the tools for this mental shift. It helps you reframe how you see your teen’s actions. An eye roll is not a sign of disrespect. It is often a sign of an overwhelmed system struggling to communicate. A slammed door is not an attack. It is an inability to regulate big emotions. When you reframe these actions, your frustration melts away. It is replaced by empathy. This empathetic connection is the foundation upon which you can build a new, healthier relationship.

This journey is not about letting go of all rules or boundaries. A coach still sets clear expectations for safety and respect. The difference is in the delivery and the intention. The intention is not to control, but to guide. The goal is to help your teen develop their own internal compass, their own moral code, and their own problem-solving skills. This is how you prepare them for adulthood. Management creates obedient children. Coaching raises capable, confident adults.

This transformative idea is what makes Confident Compass such a vital resource. Anita Vangani does not just offer quick fixes. She provides a new map for the entire journey of parenting a teenager. She shows you how to build a relationship that can withstand the storms of adolescence and emerge stronger on the other side. It is a relationship based on mutual respect and trust.

If you are ready to end the power struggles and build a lasting, respectful connection with your teen, Confident Compass by Anita Vangani provides the essential blueprint. This book will guide you to replace frustration with understanding and control with genuine influence.

 

Expanding Global Reach: How Xue Ding’s Edition on MusicaNeo Transforms Viola Performance Practice

Women's Journal Staff on December 3, 2025

In an era when digital connectivity bridges continents, the work of violist-researcher Dr. Xue (Annie) Ding serves as a pioneering model for how specialized musicological research can achieve meaningful global impact. An accomplished performer and scholar—currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Stony Brook University and a prize-winning researcher—Ding publishes performance-critical editions of essential viola repertoire on the international platform MusicaNeo, creating a direct pipeline from academic investigation to practical application. This innovative approach ensures specialized knowledge becomes a living, breathing practice in studios, classrooms, and concert halls across the globe.

An Authority Forged Through Performance and Scholarship

Xue Ding’s dual expertise as a performer and scholar gives her editions unique authority. As a violist, she has performed as a soloist in venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall, and served as principal violist with the Stony Brook University Symphony Orchestra and the Manhattan School of Music orchestra. Her training includes studies with distinguished artists, including Lawrence Dutton, Karen Dreyfus, and Patinka Kopec, and masterclasses with viola luminaries such as Misha Amory, Atar Arad, and Barbara Westphal.

As a scholar, her research has been recognized with the 2nd Prize in the American Viola Society’s Dalton Research Paper Competition (2023), and her paper on Charles Loeffler was published as a featured article in the Fall 2024 issue of the Journal of the American Viola Society. This combination of high-level performance experience and rigorous academic rigor ensures that her practical editions are both historically informed and performatively astute.

Bridging the Scholar-Performer Divide: A New Paradigm

Traditional musicological research often faces a significant dissemination challenge: groundbreaking insights into historical performance practice usually remain within academic circles, while performers continue to use outdated or simplified editions. Ding’s work systematically addresses this gap through a dual-output approach that combines rigorous, authoritative scholarship with immediately applicable performance materials.

The Stamitz Project exemplifies this integrated methodology. Research conducted under the supervision of Professor Arthur Haas of Yale University—an authoritative scholar of Baroque and early Classical music—and accepted for peer-review by the prestigious College Music Symposium journal, has been translated into a comprehensive performance edition of Carl Stamitz’s Viola Concerto in D major. This edition provides violists with precisely what standard publications lack: historically informed cadenzas for the first and second movements, multiple optional lead-ins for the Rondo’s transitional passages, and tasteful, stylistically appropriate embellishments for the lyrical slow second movement. These resources address the precise questions that confront performing violists, offering solutions grounded in direct scholarly research rather than editorial convention.

The Telemann Initiative further demonstrates this model. Research submitted to the American String Teacher Journal provides violists with authoritative models for Baroque ornamentation in Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G major. In her paper, Ding first establishes the crucial, necessary role of embellishment in the concerto’s two slow movements. She then uses her own edition as a pedagogical device, explaining, step by step, how she created her embellishments. These are not presented as fixed requirements but as pedagogically framed examples that demonstrate the principles of historical improvisation. This approach empowers performers to understand the underlying principles, enabling them to develop their own stylistically appropriate variations—a crucial skill for authentic performance rarely addressed in standard editions.

MusicaNeo: The Global Distribution Engine for Specialized Scholarship

By publishing on MusicaNeo, Ding transforms her research from an academic contribution into a global resource. MusicaNeo functions as an international distribution network specifically designed for musicians who wish to maintain ownership of their work while reaching a worldwide audience.

Instant Global Accessibility represents a significant impact. A conservatory student in Seoul, a professional violist in Vienna, and a university professor in Brazil all enjoy equal, immediate access to these research-based editions. The platform’s Swiss foundation and European prominence provide particular visibility within European academic and performance communities, where this repertoire is most actively studied and performed.

Comprehensive Impact Across the Global Viola Community

The accurate measure of this work’s significance lies in its multifaceted utility across different segments of the international viola community:

For Performing Violists, these editions solve persistent practical challenges that standard urtext editions deliberately avoid. The inclusion of multiple cadenza options and transitional lead-ins acknowledges that performance decisions must accommodate different technical proficiencies, acoustic environments, and artistic temperaments. By providing researched alternatives rather than single solutions, these editions respect performers’ autonomy while ensuring all options remain stylistically appropriate.

For Educators and Pedagogues—a role Ding knows well as a faculty member at the Long Island Music Conservatory and teaching assistant at Stony Brook—these publications offer invaluable teaching tools that bridge the often-separated domains of technique and historical style. The editions serve as exemplary case studies. Teachers can use the provided embellishments as models before encouraging students to create their own, using the clear scholarly rationale as a foundation for discussion and experimentation.

For the Broader Field of Musicology and Performance Practice, this work establishes a replicable model for impactful knowledge dissemination. It demonstrates how digital platforms like MusicaNeo can extend the reach and practical application of specialized research, suggesting new pathways for scholars who wish their work to influence performance traditions directly.

A Living Resource for Global Musical Practice

Xue Ding’s MusicaNeo publications represent more than commercial products; they constitute a dynamic contribution to the global viola community’s evolving practice. Each download represents participation in a modern ecosystem where research informs practice and practice, in turn, may inspire new research directions. The accessibility of these editions encourages the widespread adoption of historically informed approaches, gradually raising the standard of performance practice awareness internationally.

As digital platforms continue to reshape how musical knowledge is shared, Xue Ding’s innovative approach—informed by her performance experience, teaching, and award-winning research—offers a compelling vision for the future of performance practice scholarship. Hers is a model where geographical and institutional boundaries dissolve, and specialized research achieves immediate, meaningful impact in the hands of performers worldwide.

—

Explore and integrate this global resource by visiting Xue Ding’s MusicaNeo artist website:

https://xueding.musicaneo.com/about.html

MusicaNeo is a global digital music platform based in Switzerland that enables creators to publish, manage, and sell sheet music and licenses directly to a worldwide audience, fostering direct connections within the international music community.