The Amsterdam Public Health research institute (APH) is a network institute and forms an important link between intramural clinical care, scientific research, and the extramural care practice in the metropolitan area Amsterdam. Much research performed within APH has the potential to have a direct impact on the society and in practice.

Mission & vision

Health for all, powered by science

Our strategic plan exudes our credo to continuously produce knowledge in line with societal challenges, healthcare transformations and shifting expectations of civilians, and to effectively harness this knowledge for the public health practice and elsewhere. We consider strong ties between research, practice, and education as crucial conditions for an effective translation of public health research to the society. With our partners inside and outside of the academic world we stimulate state-of-the-art research that contributes to the ever growing health potential of individuals and communities across the life course. This is embedded within our mission: Public Health: health for all, powered by science.

To tackle complex public health challenges, we concentrate our research efforts in nine research programs with over 1,900 multidisciplinary researchers from Amsterdam UMC, VU Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam. By teaming up with other researchers, citizen communities, healthcare providers, educators, and policy-makers, our focus for the coming years will be on implementation and dissemination of our knowledge in and outside the metropolitan region of Amsterdam.

Think globally, act locally

We emphasize engaging in new and strengthening existing relationships that contribute to promoting public health for the people of the Amsterdam region. Located in Amsterdam, we witness substantial challenges in terms of public health in our direct surroundings. Amsterdam is one of the biggest cities of Europe and holds an important regional role. Research in the context of Amsterdam is therefore also relevant to other metropolitan areas. The urban context of our research institute offers a large and rich diverse living lab that not only can inspire new research questions and ideas, but also promote the understanding of effective implementation and dissemination among local stakeholders in the field of public health. Think globally, act locally, by testing what is learned elsewhere and by spreading what we learn in Amsterdam across the rest of the world.

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APH Strategic plan 2020-2023

In our new strategic plan we explicitly aim to translate and implement our scientific knowledge into local practice and society. Our focus is on responsive health care from a societal perspective, using multidisciplinary approaches. The many cohort studies in APH cover populations across the whole lifespan as well as new and vulnerable groups and will be of great value in this effort. Moreover, many longstanding collaborations with societal partners support relevance and implementation of our research findings.

APH Magazine 2023

In our second edition of the APH magazine 'Een gezonde toekomst voor iedereen', we present a selection of our research efforts aimed to improve and prevent public health challenges in the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. With this magazine we want to inform a broad audience and stimulate collaborations with external partners, stakeholders and citizen in and outside Amsterdam.

APH magazine 2019

First edition of the APH magazine.

Cover of APH magazine

Organization

The APH research institute is led by three directors who represent both locations of Amsterdam UMC and the Faculty of Beta Sciences of VU Amsterdam. Daily operation of the research institute are delegated to the APH Support staff. The organizational structure of the research institute is depicted in the organogram.

Dr. D.S. (Dionne) Kringos, Vice Director
Dr. D.S. (Dionne) Kringos, Vice Director

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Dr. F. (Frank) van Leth, Vice Director
Dr. F. (Frank) van Leth, Vice Director

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APH Support staff

Danielle van der Laan, PhD, team manager & policy officer
Danielle van der Laan, PhD, team manager & policy officer

Moira Goeman, MSc, policy officer
Moira Goeman, MSc, policy officer

Diane Schöller, impact developer APH-IXA
Diane Schöller, impact developer APH-IXA

Eva Kelder, Msc MA, communications officer
Eva Kelder, Msc MA, communications officer

Nicole de Vries, management assistant
Nicole de Vries, management assistant
Britt Oudenes, MSc, student assistant
Britt Oudenes, MSc, student assistant

External Advisory Board

The External Advisory Board provides guidance on the overall strategy of the research institute including the viability of existing research programs or the need for new research programs. Members were selected on their administrative, academic and/or policy experience deemed relevant to the adopted broad definition of public health research. Members have no direct interest in the research institute.

Name Affiliation and function
Drs. P. (Paul) van der Velpen Advisor Bureau Public Health; Former Director of the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam); Chairman Board @ease; member in a personal capacity
Drs. M.J.J. (Marith) Volp Director Public Health and Health Services at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
Prof. dr. J. (Johan) Mackenbach Professor emeritus Erasmus MC
Prof. dr. G.G. (Frits) van Merode Professor Maastricht University
Drs. J.E. (Jenneke) van Rheenen-Flach Director of the Netherlands School of Public and Occupational Health (NSPOH)
Drs. P. (Patricia) Heijdenrijk Director Pharos
Dr. A.C. (Agnes) Kant Director Lareb; Researcher LUMC pharmacolvigilance

Partners & collaborations

Collaborations with strategic partners are essential elements in the research institute for reaching its goals. These partners can be found at different levels. The coming years we will strengthen existing strategic alliances and support new ones, with a focus on urban health in the Amsterdam region. We can exploit both our research and the position of Amsterdam internationally, by participating in international initiatives of which we can apply the knowledge during the project and afterwards into local practice.

A successful strategy for bringing together researchers and field partners are the Academic Collaborative Centers (‘Academische Werkplaatsen’). These are close collaborations in research, training and practice, based on long-term contractual agreements, between researchers, practitioners and managers.

CaRe research school

The Amsterdam Public Health research institute collaborates with three other research institutes in the Netherlands School of Public Health and Care Research (CaRe). These research institutes are CAPHRI (Care And Public Health Research Institute) of Maastricht University; Nivel (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research) in Utrecht; and ELG (Eerstelijnsgeneeskunde) and IQHealth of the Radboud University Medical
Centre in Nijmegen. CaRe annually organizes the 'CaRe days', where, amongst others, PhD candidates are invited to present their research and the CaRe award for the best dissertation is handed out. Recently, the CaRe Leadership program was developed in which several APH researchers participate in order to become the new leaders in public health research. See the infographic for CaRe activities:

Onboarding Meetings

The Amsterdam Public Health research institute organizes onboarding meetings for new APH researchers three times a year. The main goal of the onboarding meeting is getting to know the research institute and fellow APH researchers better. We will inform you about APH and its assets and explain how you can contribute and benefit from your affiliation to APH. It is an entertaining and diverse afternoon and a great opportunity to meet fellow APH researchers.

2025

You can register via this registration form.

Dates Time Location
Monday March 17, 2025 14:00-15:30 Online
Tuesday June 17, 2025 15:00-16:30 Online
Monday October 13, 2025 14:00-15:30 Online

Registration

How to become a fully registered APH researcher:

  • Step 1: fill in the registration form to register as APH researcher;
  • Step 2: add the APH research institute and one or two APH research programs to your Pure profile;
  • Step 3a: (for PhD candidates (AMC and VUmc)): register your PhD trajectory via the Amsterdam UMC Doctoral School. After registration, PhD candidates with an Amsterdam UMC email address also have access to the PhD courses platform offered by the Amsterdam UMC Doctoral School.
  • Step 3b: (for PhD candidates (VU and VUmc)): complete the registration of your PhD trajectory in HoraFinita (VU/VUmc) including the APH Training Plan.

    Accountability

    Annual reports

    Midterm self-evaluations

    Fullterm self-evaluations

    Contact

    For general questions concerning the Amsterdam Public Health research institute, contact us via: aph@amsterdamumc.nl

    For other questions concerning: