Associate Professor
Strategic program(s):
Biography
I am a clinical epidemiologist with extensive experience in cohort studies, real-world data, and data-driven innovation, with a primary focus on women's health. My career began with research into the association between sex hormones and breast cancer risk. Following a two-year fellowship from the Dutch Cancer Association, I expanded my research to include hormonal-related female-specific risk factors for other cancers and cardiometabolic diseases.
Recognizing that women not only have unique risk factors and different levels of sex steroids compared to men, but also experience differences in disease diagnosis and prognosis, I have utilized large cohort studies and electronic health care data to investigate the etiology, diagnosis, and prognosis of women's health.
I serve as the co-Principal Investigator of two major population-based cohorts in Utrecht: the EPIC-NL study and the Utrecht Health Project. Additionally, I have worked as an epidemiologist and cohort manager for the YOUth cohort, contributing to its design and execution.
In my role in Utrecht, I am responsible for the development of the Health Data Space Utrecht, a regional research data infrastructure that integrates health data from the Utrecht region, including research data, electronic health records, and real-world data, for secondary use.
I am a strong advocate for team science and a multidisciplinary approach to research, collaborating closely with experts in experimental cardiology, data science, and healthcare. I am passionate about coaching and mentoring, and I take great pride in leading and developing my team.
Research aim
Our group's aim is to translate knowledge from experimental cardiovascular research to improve womens's cardiovascular health.
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