KU Leuven Department of Public Health and Primary Care

Hello, #AcademicSky! We are the Department of Public Health & Primary Care at KU Leuven. We work on #publichealth, #primarycare, #healthpolicy and community health through research, education and policy engagement. Looking forward to connecting with others in our field!

Our department chair Pascal Borry joined De Wereld van Vandaag to share his insights on the debate around so‑called “placebo surgeries”. He discusses whether such procedures are ethically acceptable and how they relate to broader research‑ethics questions.

Listen to the interview (in Dutch) 👇

Psychosocial Healthcare in Primary Care Professor in Psychosocial Healthcare in Primary Care wanted!

We are recruiting!

The Department of Public Health and Primary Care at KU Leuven is looking for a Professor in Psychosocial Healthcare in Primary Care.

Are you, or do you know someone, who might be a great fit for this role? 📅 Applications open until 16/03/2026

www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...

Pascal Borry, chair of the department, delivering a New Year’s speech.

Reception scene with a buffet table in the foreground and attendees gathered and talking in the background.

Group photo of the three speakers who delivered their inaugural lectures.

Group of attendees smiling and posing together in the photobooth.

A great start to 2026! 👏 Tinne Claes, Maaike De Roo and Cornelia Genbrugge delivered their inaugural lectures, followed by a warm New Year’s reception. Looking back on a successful 2025, we confidently move into the new year. 🙌

Nele Lemaitre is the new point of contact for master’s and #PhD students researching #perinatal care paths within the Academic Centre for General Practice. She will also ensure that #research efforts are coordinated and distinct.

#publichealth #healtcare #KULeuven

Jolien Palmaerts has recently joined the Leuven Institute for #Healthcare Policy (LIHP) as a Healthcare Quality Training & Support Officer. She will contribute to two key projects: #FlaQuM and #NKP

#publichealth #kuleuven #LIGB

Sarah Gorissen recently joined our department as the new departmental manager. She will work closely together with the chair and will be responsible for the operational management of the department, including #strategy, #HR and #communication.

#publichealth #healthcare #KULeuven

👏 On Wednesday, October 8th, 2025, Professor Walter Sermeus received the #FlorenceNightingale Medal from the Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen for over forty years of dedication to the #nursing profession. Congratulations!

Welcome, Prof. Maaike De Roo! Maaike De Roo is now an assistant professor at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care (Research Unit of Gerontology and Geriatrics). She also works as a staff member at the Department of Geriatric Medicine UZ Leuven (2021).

👏 Maaike De Roo is now an assistant professor. She also works as a staff member at the Department of Geriatric Medicine UZ Leuven. Her clinical interests include ambulatory geriatric care and care for people with #dementia

#publichealth #KULeuven #UZLeuven

https://ow.ly/xcUA50XaSZX

Welcome, Maggie Strube! On 1 September 2025, Maggie Strubbe joined our department as a PhD researcher. She will research scarcity in health care under the supervision of Prof. Raf Van Gestel, associated with the Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy.

🖐️ Maggie Strube has joined our department as a PhD researcher. She will research scarcity in #healthcare under the supervision of Prof. Raf Van Gestel, associated with the Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy

Learn more: https://bit.ly/47eFCTE

#publichealth #PhD #KULeuven

Say hello to Mercy Muriithy! During her stay as a visiting researcher at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Mercy Muriithy will be working with Professor Silvia Camporesi on a project related to safeguarding in Kenya, and will be a guest lecturer for the MAiSI programme, of which she’s an alumna.

Mercy Muriithy, visiting researcher at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, will collaborate with Prof. Silvia Camporesi on safeguarding in Kenya and guest lecture for her MAiSI program. Learn more: https://ow.ly/vBvF50XaSBK

Three of our reseachers received prestigious awards at EuGMS 2025 At the 21st EuGMS Congress in Reykjavik, Iceland (24–26 September 2025), our department was proudly represented, with three of our researchers receiving prestigious awards

📣 At the 21st EuGMS Congress in Reykjavík (24–26 Sept 2025), three colleagues received prestigious awards for their #research and contribution to advancing geriatric #medicine. Learn more: https://ow.ly/14tE50XatNN

PhD defense Kamiel Verbeke: the ethics of deceiving research participants Kamiel Verbeke will defend his PhD on 14 October 2025, titled “Deception revisited: A dialogue between research ethics guidance and practice.”

🎓 PhD Defense – Kamiel Verbeke 📅 14 October 2025 Kamiel’s research tackles ethical challenges in deceiving research participants.
Learn more: https://ow.ly/6YLR50Xatly
#PhDDefense #KUleuven #ResearchEthics #Bioethics

Department of Public Health and Primary Care

👋 We're the Department of Public Health & Primary Care at KU Leuven. From biostatistics to general practice, we research better health for all.

🔗 https://ow.ly/FqTj50Xat63

#PublicHealth #PrimaryCare #HealthPolicy #KULeuven #Research #CommunityHealth