Amsterdam Public Health

Professor of Public Health Karien Stronks will become the chair of the Health Council as of January 1, 2025. On September 13, the Council of Ministers approved the proposal by Minister Agema of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS) to nominate Karien Stronks for the position. The appointment is for a term of four years.

Karien Stronks is currently employed at Amsterdam UMC, where she was appointed Professor of Public Health in 2006. In addition to her role as a professor, she has held various leadership and management positions. From 2006 to 2017, she served as head of the Department of Social Medicine at AMC. Stronks commented: “The knowledge and insights I have gained over the past 35 years as a scientist and administrator, I am eager to apply in leading the Health Council as an authoritative institution. The central question for me is how the Health Council can continue to contribute to the health of everyone in the Netherlands, based on the state of science, while also renewing itself by adopting a broad perspective on the knowledge needed for scientific advisory work.”

Well-acquainted with the Health Council

Karien Stronks is very familiar with the work of the Health Council. Since 2006, she has been involved in several advisory committees as a member, and from 2012 to 2019, she served as vice-chair of the Public Health advisory group. From 2015 to 2019, she was a member of the Presidium Committee, which acts as a sounding board for the chair of the Health Council regarding the council's overall strategy and functioning.

Scientific research

In addition to her role as chair of the Health Council, Karien Stronks will remain affiliated with Amsterdam UMC, where she will continue her scientific research on public health and prevention, as well as investigating the mechanisms underlying health disparities, accessibility, and quality of care.

Confidence in the future

Stronks' appointment follows the earlier request by the current chair, Bart-Jan Kullberg, to consider his retirement as of January 1, 2025, during his reappointment. Kullberg stated: “The Health Council is an institution to be proud of, and I feel honored to have contributed over the past five years to advancing public health and healthcare in the Netherlands. With the appointment of Karien Stronks as my successor, I look to the future of the Health Council with full confidence.”

_{Photography: Monique Kooijmans}