I am professor Social Epidemiology at the Department of Public Health of Erasmus MC, Rotterdam. I lead the Department’s Programme on ‘Prevention and Equity’
My research concentrates on the social determinants of population health, e.g. the conditions in which we are born, grow-up, work and live. Specifically, the focus is on the explanation and reduction of socioeconomic inequalities in health and health behaviour. My research addresses the role of ‘upstream’ determinants of health inequalities across the life course, with a specific focus on the urban living environment. Increasingly, I apply a systems perspective to embrace the complexity of wicked health problems, such as health inequalities, the epidemic of overweight and obesity and healthy ageing. I use advanced econometric methods as well as qualitative methods in empirical analysis in the evaluation of natural (policy) experiments and complex interventions.
I am a former editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, and Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. I supervised(s) more than 30 PhD students and published over 300 scientific papers. I am a member of the Health Council of the Netherlands.
Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam
Internal post address Na-2401
P.O. Box 2040
3000 CA Rotterdam
Visitor address:
Erasmus MC
Room no.: NA-2307
Dr. Molewaterplein 40
3015 GD Rotterdam
An overview of my scientific publications can be found here
Grant obtained in the past years:
• 2023: Reading between the line: A youth oriented A youth-centred approach to explore (in)equality of opportunities for physical, mental and social health at the interface of the online and offline society in Rotterdam. Dutch Research Agenda (NWA).
• 2021: Core elements of an integrated policy for obesity prevention among adults in the Netherlands: developing a guidance for municipalities. ZonMW
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• 2018: Effectiveness of existing policies for lifestyle interventions – Policy Evaluation Network (PEN), Work Package 5. Joint Programming Initiative. EC/ZonMw.
• 2018: Towards a healthy urban living environment for all in Utrecht: a systems approach (phase 2, IGLO). Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw).
• 2017: Understanding socioeconomic inequalities in educational achievement, mental health and risk-taking behaviour from birth to adolescence: the role of family, school and neighbourhood characteristics. ZonMW
• 2017: Towards an environmental strategy for the reduction of health inequalities in Utrecht: a systems approach. Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). Principal applicant.
• 2016: Een integrale aanpak van armoede:meer ruimte voor stoppen met roken? Fonds NutsOhra
• 2015: Promoting Mental Wellbeing In The Ageing Urban Population: Determinants, Policies And Interventions In European Cities. Horizon 2020, PHC 22. Budget: 5.743,160 euro. Coordinator, Principal investigator.
Associate Program Director Public Health Epidemiology
(https://www.eur.nl/en/research-master/health-sciences/majors)
Sustainable Public Health, Course coordinator and lecturer
(https://www.nihes.com/course/el025_sustainable_public_health/).
Method to evaluate public health interventions, Erasmus Summer program, coordinator and lecturer
https://erasmussummerprogramme.nl/summer-programme-courses/?ct=ESP82&pg=Courses)
- Member of the Health Council of the Netherlands (‘beraadsgroep’)
- Member of the Health Council commission on Climate change an Health
- Member Scientific committee Prevention, Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers (NFU)
- Vice-chair Working Group Healthy Living environment, Dutch Heart Foundation.
Publications list
BTW op groente en fruit maakt Nederland wel gezonder
Opinion paper in national newspaper Trouw
Eerder dood aan kanker met een laag inkomen
Interview national newspaper NRC