Department of Health Sciences

The Department of Health Sciences was founded in 2003 to support the Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science programs started in 2002 at the VU University.

These programs have now been fully developed with an influx of between 150 and 200 new students starting every year. The programs are good examples of an academic training at the crossroads of many disciplines. Tuition and research are provided by academic staff of the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, the Faculty of Psychology and Education, and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.

The research program of the Department of Health Sciences has been established in close collaboration with the Institute for Extramural Research (EMGO Institute) of the VU University Medical Center.

The Sections activities are devoted to public health. The definition of public health we use is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society, organisations, public and private, communities and individuals”.

The Department has the following structure:
 
Director of the Department: Prof.Dr.Ir. Jaap C. Seidell
Management Assistant: Drs. Heleen Heijstee
Coordinator Master programme: Dr. Marianne Donker,  and 
Dr. Raymond Ostelo (researchmaster) 
 
There are five sections:

Section  Nutrition and Health
head: Prof.Dr.Ir. Marjolein Visser   
  
Section Nutrition and Health    
    
Section of Methodology and Applied Biostatistics;
head: Prof.Dr. Jos W.R. Twisk 
 
Section Methodology and Applied Biostat   
   
Section of Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment;
head: Prof.Dr. Maurits W. van Tulder 
 
Section Health Econ Health Techn Assessm   
   
Section  Prevention and Public Health;
head: Dr. Ingrid H.M. Steenhuis  
  
Section Prevention and Public Health   
   
Section  Infectious Diseases;
head: Dr. Katja Polman,  (under construction)  
 
Section  Infectious Diseases   

Section  Health and Life Sciences;
Director: Prof.Dr. M. van Eck van der Sluijs-van de Bor
(responsible for the BSc programme of Health and Life Sciences) 

Section Health and Life Sciences

Address:
VU University Amsterdam
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences
De Boelelaan 1085
1081 HV  Amsterdam
The Netherlands

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