Lonneke van Leeuwen

Research mission

As a researcher in the team Public Health Practice, my mission is to promote equal health opportunities for individuals of all ages, with a particular emphasis on youth. My current research, rooted in a passion for promoting healthy lifestyles, centers on understanding the barriers that affect sports participation among disadvantaged youth, especially those from low-income families. This involves gaining a comprehensive understanding of these obstacles and developing and evaluating innovative strategies to overcome them. Furthermore, my research encompasses the evaluation of the implementation of UMCU's Schakelpunt Gezond Leven, a service that empowers patients to enhance their well-being by collaborating with lifestyle consultants.

Background

Before joining the UMCU, I worked as a scientific associate at the Trimbos Institute, Netherlands institute of mental health and addiction in Utrecht (2001-2020). During this period, I contributed to various projects related to youth substance use, suicide prevention, and the impact of media on mental health and substance use. In 2015, I earned a PhD in (health) communication science from Wageningen University & Research. My doctoral research focused on understanding the effects of an Entertainment-Education television series on young viewers' alcohol use and associated psychological processes, such as identification with characters and alcohol outcome expectancies. I was trained as a medical biologist at UMCU in 2000.