Research Projects & Experience

My Ph.D. research focused on the intersection of pelvic floor complaints, sexual function problems, and psychological distress in Dutch young adult women who received pelvic physical therapy. For this purpose, I performed:

An interview study, which was analyzed in two mixed-method designs with Leximancer and Group Concept Mapping (Groupwisdom).
Two psychometric studies to develop a new instrument: The Pelvic Floor Complaint-related Psychological Burden Inventory (PFC-PBI), and to test the reliability and validity of a new Implicit Association Test (PHSP-IAT) to measure implicit associations between sexual health/sexual dysfunction and pursuing/not pursuing help.
A cross-sectional study to analyze the predictive value of pregnancy, parity, pelvic floor complaint severity, level of sexual function, and level of psychological burden for receiving pelvic physical therapy.
A file review study among pelvic physical therapists to explore recorded combinations of pelvic floor complaints, psychological distress, and pelvic floor muscle function.

Postdoctoral Research in Clinical Psychology, Open University

As a postdoctoral researcher, I am developing a Research Agenda for three research teams at the faculty of clinical psychology at the OU: Creative Arts Therapies for the Elderly, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Virtual Reality and E-mental Health.

Psychology and Sex Research

A new Research Project on Pelvic Floor Complaints and their invisible burden

This study examines the therapy sensitivity of a new questionnaire, the Pelvic Floor Complaint-related Psychological Burden Inventory (PFC-PBI), including patients in pelvic physical therapy practices in the Netherlands. This study has been adapted by only focussing on pelvic floor complaints and the accompanying distress. Download here the information about the new, more straightforward strategy to contribute to this study. Thank you for supporting this research by helping to recruit participants.

Transcultural Psychiatry, Tilburg University

In a post-doctoral position as principal investigator, I performed a multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) in collaboration with the Dutch/Belgian research consortium Samen Sterker. We examined the effect of the Cultural Formulation Interview on the therapeutic working alliance between migrant patients and their clinicians including the role of experienced cultural empathy.

International Publications

My ORCiD profile:

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2084-2120

My ResearchGate Profile:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alma-Brand

I have been reviewing article for publication in various scientific journals

Oral Conference Contributions

The Dutch version of my interactive workshop with the title: "What can pelvic physical therapists do for people experiencing pain during sexual activities?" I addressed three elephants in the treatment room: (Painful) Sex, (Chronic) Pain, and Psychological burden, and I offered the attendees the opportunity to experience a pelvic floor awareness exercise whilst sitting on balloons.

NVVS Najaarscongres, 2024 in Driebergen, the Netherlands

I felt honoured to be invited to present at the Dr. EROS SHE conference in Hangzhou, China, on Female Sexual Dysfunction and Pain. My prerecorded presentation was translated and well-received.

NVFB Congres, 2025 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

I am very pleased to have been invited to present my Ph.D. research results to my Dutch colleague pelvic physical therapists at their conference this year.

NVVS Voorjaarscongres, 2025 in Utrecht, the Netherlands

This presentation will cover part of my Ph.D. research on the topic of Implicit Associations between Pursuing help and Sexual Dysfunction

Dr. EROS SHE conference, 2025 in Hangzhou, China

ICS Conference, 2024 in Madrid, Spain

A presentation about relevant findings from my Ph.D. research for pelvic health professionals: "Characteristics of premenopausal women in pelvic physical therapy practice."

ESSM Conference, 2024 in Bari, Italy

An interactive workshop with the title: "What can pelvic physical therapists do for people experiencing pain during sexual activities?" I addressed three elephants in the treatment room: (Painful) Sex, (Chronic) Pain, and Psychological burden, and I offered the attendees the opportunity to experience a pelvic floor awareness exercise whilst sitting on balloons.

WAS Conference, 2023 in Antalya, Turkey

A presentation providing a general overview of my Ph.D. research with the title: "Why do women seek help in pelvic physical therapy practice?"

NVVS Voorjaarscongres, 2023 in Utrecht, the Netherlands

A presentation about: "The sexual problems and psychological burden of women with pelvic floor complaints." based on preliminary results of my Ph.D. research.

Conference Poster Presentations

2024, IASR, Berlin, Germany
2023, IASR, Montreal, Canada (2 posters)
2023, ESMN, Ljubljana, Slovenië
2022, IASR, Reykjavik, Iceland
2022, ESMN, Salzburg, Austria
2021, IASR, Virtual Conference
2018, IASR, Madrid, Spain
2018, ICPPMH, Reykjavik, Iceland
2014, IASR, Dubrovnik, Croatia