Neuroscientist, Stress Researcher & Co-Founder of Stressinsight
Erwin van den Burg is a neuroscientist and stress researcher with more than twenty years of experience studying how stress shapes the brain, body, and behavior. His work focuses on stress physiology, cortisol regulation, amygdala reactivity, prefrontal control, and the neurobiological mechanisms through which everyday pressure can gradually develop into chronic stress.
His research has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals in neuroscience and related fields. Alongside his academic work, Erwin has long been interested in translating scientific knowledge into practical understanding that people can apply in everyday working life.
He co-founded StressInsight to bridge the gap between scientific research and real-world experience. After publishing a well-received book on stress in the Netherlands and launching a public stress journal, he saw a growing need for a more interactive and science-grounded platform that could help people interpret and respond to stress more clearly.
Rather than treating stress simply as something to eliminate, Erwin approaches it as a meaningful signal about how people are working, relating, and organizing their time and energy.
Areas of Expertise
Stress physiology (HPA axis, cortisol regulation, amygdala–prefrontal circuitry)
Chronic stress, hyperarousal, and cognitive fatigue
Neurobiology of resilience, recovery, and adaptation
Organizational stressors such as workload, autonomy, role clarity, conflict, and culture
Decision-making and motivation under sustained pressure
Translating neuroscience into practical guidance for professionals and organizations
Erwin’s Approach
Erwin starts from a simple premise: stress rarely has a single cause. It usually emerges where biological stress systems interact with unclear expectations, chronic overload, limited autonomy, conflict, or perceived unfairness at work.
His framework integrates three complementary perspectives.
Understanding the stress system
Helping people understand what the brain and body are doing under pressure. This often reduces confusion and self-blame, and creates the conditions for clearer decisions.
Small, realistic micro-actions
Identifying small footholds that can restore a sense of steadiness in the moment. These are not quick fixes, but practical steps that help people regain orientation and reduce escalating stress responses.
Working with real conditions at work
Looking beyond individual coping strategies to examine the conditions that sustain stress. This may involve clarifying priorities, negotiating boundaries, improving coordination, or reducing unnecessary unpredictability.
The goal is not perfection or instant calm, but clearer orientation, wiser decisions, and more sustainable ways of working over time.
Role at Stressinsight
At Stressinsight, Erwin leads content development, research translation, and the scientific direction of the platform, courses, community, and consultancy services.
His work focuses on translating rigorous neuroscience and stress research into practical, human-centered guidance that helps professionals and organizations understand pressure and respond to it more effectively.
Personal Mission
To make high-quality stress science understandable and usable, so people can interpret their stress signals more clearly, regain a sense of agency, and contribute to workplaces where pressure is more manageable and collaboration is healthier.
Scientific Publications
A selection of Erwin’s academic publications and research contributions:
Ciobanu AC, Mota Caseiro D, Niu R, Triana de Rio R, Leroux C, Stefanelli A, Flores Nakandakare C, Pralong E, Daniel RT, Lütjens R, Van den Burg EH*, Stoop R* (2026). Negative allosteric modulation of mGlu7 disrupts fear memory reconsolidation and glutamatergic signaling in rat and human brain tissue. Mol. Psychiatry 31: 976-986. *co-last authors
Abatis M, Perin R, Niu R, Hegoburu C, Van den Burg E, Kim R, Okamura M, Bito H, Markram H, Stoop R (2024) Fear learning encoded by an auto-associative network in the lateral amygdala. Nat. Neurosci. 27: 1309-1317.
Hegoburu C, Ghosh S, Triana Del Rio R, Salgado I, Abatis M, Niu R, Van den Burg EH, Grundschober C, Stoop R (2024) Oxytocinergic signaling in the rat central amygdala underlies socially-induced immediate and long-lasting decreases of fear. Nat. Commun. 15: 2081.
Winter J, Meyer M, Berger I, Peters S, Royer M, Bianchi M, Stang S, Langgartner D, Reber SO, Kuffner K, Schmidtner AK, Hartmann F, Bludau A, Bosch OJ, Slattery DA, Van den Burg EH*, Jurek B*, Neumann ID* (2023). Chronic oxytocin-driven alternative splicing of CRFR2α induces anxiety. Mol. Psychiatry 28: 4742-4755. *co-last authors
Martinetz S, Meinung CP, Jurek B, Von Schack D, Van den Burg EH, Slattery DA, Neumann ID (2019) De novo protein synthesis mediated by the eukaryotic elongation factor 2 is required for the anxiolytic effect of oxytocin. Biol. Psychiatry 85: 802-811.
Terburg D, Scheggia D, Triana del Rio R, Klumpers F, Ciobanu AC, Morgan B, Montoya ER, Bos PA, Giobellina G, Van den Burg EH, De Gelder B, Stein DJ, Stoop R, Van Honk J (2018) The basolateral amygdala is essential fro rapid escape: a human and rodent study. Cell 175: 723-735.
Jurek B, Slattery D, Hiraoka Y, Liu Y, Nishimori K, Aguilera G, Neumann I, Van den Burg E (2015). Oxytocin regulates stress-induced CRF gene transcription through CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 3 (CRTC3). J. Neurosci. 35: 12248-12260.
Van den Burg EH, Stindl J, Grund T, Neumann ID, Olaf Strauss O (2015). Oxytocin stimulates extracellular Ca2+ influx through TRPV2 channels in hypothalamic neurons to exert its anxiolytic effects. Neuropsychopharmacology 40: 2938-2947.
Viviani D, Charlet A, Van den Burg E, Robinet C, Hurni N, Abatis M, Magara F, Stoop R (2011). Oxytocin selectively gates fear responses through distinct outputs from the central amygdala. Science 333: 104-107.
Van den Burg EH, Peeters RR, Verhoye M, Meek J, Flik G, Van der Linden A (2005) Brain responses to ambient temperature fluctuations in fish: reduction of blood volume and initiation of a whole-body stress response. J. Neurophysiol. 93: 2849-2855.
Van den Burg E, Stoop R (2019) Neuropeptide signalling in the central nucleus of the amygdala. Cell Tissue Res. 375: 93-101.
Stoop R, Hegoburu C, Van den Burg E (2015) New research opportunities in vasopressin and oxytocin research. Ann. Rev. Neurosci. 38: 369-388.
Media citations: see Media & Citations.
Connect with Erwin through the Stressinsight Community, explore the Stressinsight resources, or book a consultancy session to discuss tailored support for individuals or organizations.
