Famke Mölenberg is an epidemiologist and postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, and affiliated with the academic collaborative center CEPHIR and Erasmus Initiative Smarter Choices for Better Health. She has an expertise in evaluating environmental and policy interventions, within and outside the health domain, with the aim of preventing disease and reducing health inequalities. In her work she uses state-of-the-art methods to strengthen causal inference.
She conducted her PhD thesis at the department of Public Health with the title: Natural experiments to evaluate local public health interventions. The work evaluated (policy) changes in the city of Rotterdam, including the introduction of playgrounds, the changing food landscape, and the introduction of smoke-free policies. Her research is characterized by a strong focus on societal change, and aims to bridge policy and practice. Since September 2022, she works two days a week as scientific staff member at the Dutch Health Council, at the Committee on the Identification of Environmental and Health Issues.
Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam
Internal post address Na-2401
P.O. Box 2040
3000 CA Rotterdam
Visitor address:
Erasmus MC
Workplace: NA-building, 23/24th floor
Dr. Molewaterplein 40
3015 GD Rotterdam
30km/h speed limits for Healthy Populations and Vital Cities
Funded by Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens in 2022
Socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Funded by Erasmus Trustfonds in 2020
Publications list
Most relevant publications
Natural experiments to evaluate local public health interventions
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Natural experiments: A Nobel Prize awarded research design for strengthening causal inference on global health challenges
Journal of Global Health
Socioeconomic inequalities in the food environment and body composition among school-aged children: a fixed-effects analysis
International Journal of Obesity
Effect of smoke-free policies in outdoor areas and private places on children's tobacco smoke exposure and respiratory health: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Lancet Public Health
Our project ‘novel smoke-free policies’ resulted in a public campaign to create awareness around smoke-free car policies. We launched the website www.rijrookvrij.nl with an infographic and social media cards, freely to download.
Interview NRC: Hoe armer de wijk, hoe meer fastfood
Naar aanleiding van mijn promotie onderzoek werd ik geïnterviewd door het NRC over gezondheidsverschillen tussen buurten. Is dat te veranderen? Meer sport, minder fastfood?
NPO radio 1: Overgewicht: Onderzoek toont gezondheidsverschillen tussen buurten
Naar aanleiding van mijn promotie onderzoek werd ik geïnterviewd door het radioprogramma De Nieuws BV. Famke Mölenberg promoveerde op het verband tussen omgeving en gezondheid in Rotterdam en vertelt over de uitkomsten.
Column Voeding Magazine: Steden slibben dicht met fastfood
Naar aanleiding van mijn promotie onderzoek werd ik gevraagd een column te schrijven voor Voedings Magazine over de toename van fastfood in steden.
Interview NRC Rotterdam bijlage: Speelveldje voor sommige kinderen goed
Naar aanleiding van mijn onderzoek waarbij ik gebruik maakte van data van de Generation R studie werd ik geïnterviewd door het NRC over de uitkomsten. Spelen kinderen in Rotterdam vaker buiten als er een Cruyff Court of een Krajicek Playground wordt aangelegd in hun wijk?