<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Merle van den Akker]]></title><description><![CDATA[Behavioural scientist helping organisations understand decision-making and design interventions that drive better financial and real-world outcomes.]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 04:21:09 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.merlevandenakker.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Christina Hanschke]]></title><description><![CDATA[Christina's multidisciplinary career has focused on understanding people’s needs through applying behavioral science, human centered design, and systems thinking in order to co-create sustainable and innovative interventions to address complex health challenges. She was privileged to hone these skills while working at Final Mile in the global health space. There she was able to work with colleagues and collaborators on vaccine hesitancy and HIV prevention and treatment adherence. Currently...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-christina-hanschke</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cb89c5254f731c7d8d95bb</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 20:00:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_c373e9260fbb432aa89f60044c0d14f5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_576,h_426,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Ishaan Prinz]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ishaan is a Behavioral Scientist at Vanguard, where he applies insights from psychology and economics to shape business and product strategy to help retail investors make healthier financial decisions. Prior to Vanguard, Ishaan was a Human Capital Consultant at KPMG in Singapore. He holds an MA in Behavioral and Decision Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Psychology from Haverford College. Outside of work, he can be found on the tennis court, playing board games, and...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-ishaan-prinz</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cb89c5254f731c7d8d95c0</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 20:00:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_ead2d386ca704bbba5bb6c33ac39de47~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Barnabas Szaszi]]></title><description><![CDATA[Barnabas builds large-scale behavior change projects with a strong focus on social impact, aiming to support vulnerable individuals and groups. He leads the Behavioral Science Center at the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies and the Behavioral Science Lab at Eötvös Loránd University. Among other initiatives, he leads one of the world’s largest happiness research projects, currently running across 70 countries. He holds dual degrees in psychology and economics and earned his Ph.D. in...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-barnabas-szaszi</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cb89c5254f731c7d8d95bf</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 20:00:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_cd95fd7b67804bc9b9db1f2607c44d21~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_459,h_411,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Daniel McGrath]]></title><description><![CDATA[Daniel is Professor of Psychology and the Associate Dean of Research and Scholarships at the University of Calgary, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI). His research program is primarily focused on behavioural pharmacology, personality, addictions, and risk-taking behaviour. Another major research area is the role of cognitive biases in disordered gambling. Specifically, he is interested in the influence of attention to visual stimuli captured...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-daniel-mcgrath</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cb89c5254f731c7d8d95bd</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:00:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_b904da436f5e499182b104af3456c38f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Shane Timmons]]></title><description><![CDATA[Shane joined the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit (BRU) in 2017 as a postdoctoral research fellow and is currently a Senior Research Officer. His research uses theory and methods from behavioural science to inform policy across a range of domains, including environmental behaviour, financial decision-making, and health. A present focus of his research is on how individuals and systems interact in ways that have implications for climate policy. Shane holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-shane-timmons</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cb89c5254f731c7d8d95be</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 20:00:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_a6752dc5a8924dc8a2077a0aeb07bd17~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_600,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Eliana Polemeni]]></title><description><![CDATA[Eliana is currently a Director in the Behavioral Science Center at Ipsos, where she applies a behavioral science lens to market research. Previously, she was a Principal Researcher in the Behavioral Science Department at the Booth School of Business. She received her PhD in Management and Organizations from the Kellogg School of Management. Her dissertation focused on beliefs about fulfillment at work, and how those beliefs can be miscalibrated. Who or what got you into behavioural science?...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-eliana-polemeni</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c770dcf255d356ed699410</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 19:00:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_8ee8cc3532b4457692d9c1d1fa5667cf~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with David Villa]]></title><description><![CDATA[David is a Behavioural Science Leader at BeWay Consulting, where he operates at the intersection of behavioural science, experimentation, and organizational change. His experience has largely focused on the Latin American financial sector. He has collaborated with banks across multiple countries in the region to apply behavioural insights and turn evidence into practical growth marketing strategies that improve user adoption and customer experience. He does so by working closely with...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-david-villa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69af849348bac10ed79f93c9</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 19:00:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_842df0d68eaa4fa3acd7a87236ba946c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_935,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Ben Brikman]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ben is a Behavioral Scientist at Vanguard, where he works with a cross-functional team to improve financial outcomes for investors. Previously, he was a member of the interdisciplinary Behavior Change and Design team at Cityblock Health, applying behavioral science methods to improve health outcomes for marginalized communities. Before that, Ben helped launch and support the Behavioral Science Lab at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), an initiative focused on bringing human-centered approaches to...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-ben-brikman</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d852</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 19:00:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_4eeb1e5b45dd4772b2c1a6a00cc328e4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Juan de Rus Gutiérrez]]></title><description><![CDATA[Juan is the Managing Partner at Neovantas and Adjunct Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at IE Business School, University Carlos III of Madrid, and the University of Barcelona. Specialized in banking, insurance, and telecommunications, he has led projects across Europe and Latin America focused on the application of behavioral data to improve revenue, profitability, and customer experience. Juan holds an MSc in Behavioral Science with distinction from the London School of...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-juan-de-rus-guti%C3%A9rrez</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2995c94e04527d8dbae</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:00:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_730bf3da74854169bb1ebab019f9ce47~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_686,h_386,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Elisabeth Costa]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lis is the Chief of Innovation and Partnerships at the Behavioural Insights Team, leading global partnerships and the development of new service offerings and emerging areas of expertise, with extensive experience across the UK, Australia, and the United States and particular expertise at the intersection of behavioural science and AI, market regulation, and economic policy. Previously Managing Director of BIT UK, she led flagship programmes applying behavioural science to economic policy and...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-elisabeth-costa</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2985c94e04527d8db0e</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 19:01:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_87706db8a10f479382fe74fb85ab4e9a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Elizabeth Convery]]></title><description><![CDATA[Behavioural Science is a rapidly expanding field and everyday new research is being developed in academia, tested and implemented by practitioners in financial organisations, development agencies, government ‘nudge’ units and more. This interview is part of a series interviewing prominent people in the field . And in today's interview the answers are provided by Elizabeth Convery. Liz is a Principal Advisor and the Head of Research in the BIT Australian office. In addition to leading BIT...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-elizabeth-convery</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2995c94e04527d8dbfe</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 18:51:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_6ce1310796574a91a7bb7fb9e4837677~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Nupur Yogarajah]]></title><description><![CDATA[Nupur is a behavioural scientist, NHS clinical leader, GP, and accredited coach with 10+ years of leadership experience. She helps organisations create inclusive, high-performing cultures grounded in wellbeing, evidence, and behavioural change. She also founded Dr NY to offer a smarter, more rigorous alternative to surface-level wellbeing and leadership solutions. Using behavioural science frameworks, research insight, and a clinician’s lens, she works with senior leaders to diagnose what’s...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-nupur-yogarajah</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d82a</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2025 18:01:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_fe249818493e445d9eeb7e9f8a79afcb~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_763,h_527,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Antoine Ferrère]]></title><description><![CDATA[Antoine brings a unique blend of expertise in behavioral science, data science, and AI. With experience leading teams at Novartis as Global Head of Behavioral &#38; Data Science, he has pioneered the integration of AI with behavioral insights to drive ethical decision-making and organizational transformation. His work has been published in MIT Sloan Management Review and Harvard Business Review, focusing on psychological safety, ethical conduct, and building behavioral science capabilities in...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-antoine-ferr%C3%A8re</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d865</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:30:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_3311a953dbfe4023b6a325a5026c2c66~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_588,h_468,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Natalia le Gal]]></title><description><![CDATA[Natalia is the founder of Behava, a behaviour change practice born from her lifelong curiosity about why people do what they do. With a background in Anthropology and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen and a Master’s in Eco-Innovation from Université de Versailles, Natalia’s journey has been driven by a desire to uncover the deeper motivations behind human actions. After eight years in PR, marketing, and sales for electric vehicle charging solutions, she realised during...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-natalia-le-gal</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2995c94e04527d8dbd6</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 26 Oct 2025 18:00:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_03ae2ad7a5924825ad010ef0c0e83122~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_608,h_477,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Ella Howes]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ella is a PhD student funded by the Trials Methodology Research Partnership (TMRP) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), based at the University of Leeds. Her PhD is looking at what needs to be considered when adapting a complex intervention for remote delivery within a trial. Previously, Ella worked as a translational behavioural scientist on the Human Behaviour Change Project, led by Professor Susan Michie. Ella has also delivered a number of training courses on the Behaviour Change Wheel...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-ella-howes</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d956</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 17:28:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_ce8e9711366b4c6f9f1fcb444ac03fd6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_651,h_651,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Chris Rider]]></title><description><![CDATA[Behavioural Science is a rapidly expanding field and everyday new research is being developed in academia, tested and implemented by...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-chris-rider</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d8b6</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2025 19:07:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_9c9bf7c02c4242029c93f21e38bd3e73~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Laura Sommer]]></title><description><![CDATA[Behavioural Science is a rapidly expanding field and everyday new research is being developed in academia, tested and implemented by...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-laura-sommer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d866</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 20:32:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_e067ed8f40a546eaa0e506354defdcef~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_724,h_687,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Cláudia Simão ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Behavioural Science is a rapidly expanding field and everyday new research is being developed in academia, tested and implemented by...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-cl%C3%A1udia-sim%C3%A3o</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d8de</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 31 Aug 2025 17:12:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_a48619bd2e44446ea82e6b865fd8f6bb~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_953,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Enrique Belenguer Saborit]]></title><description><![CDATA[Behavioural Science is a rapidly expanding field and everyday new research is being developed in academia, tested and implemented by...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-enrique-belenguer-saborit</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d96a</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 17 Aug 2025 20:50:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_663f00cfe48d44e0910c7f6c867303ca~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview with Renos Vakis]]></title><description><![CDATA[Behavioural Science is a rapidly expanding field and everyday new research is being developed in academia, tested and implemented by...]]></description><link>https://www.merlevandenakker.com/post/interview-with-renos-vakis</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a4f2955c94e04527d8d92e</guid><category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 03 Aug 2025 14:56:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/219621_54e12fed3b1040cc92f879aaf95ccdea~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_800,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Merle van den Akker</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>