I am Associate Professor (with IUS Promovendi) at the Chairgroup Health and Society of Wageningen University and Research (WUR). I take on a sociological perspective to study the healthy living environment. My work – in research, managerial and teaching roles – is underpinned by the values of care, participation and justice. I work together with landscape architects, social geographers, plant scientists, public health nutritionists, health promotion professionals, policy makers and citizens. The courses I teach often involve real-life cases studies and living labs.
My overall research focus is to analyse and contribute to the development of inclusive healthy settings: contexts in which people engage in daily activities and in which environmental, organizational and personal factors interact to affect health and wellbeing. Examples of settings are cities, neighbourhoods, communities, workplaces and families. I love working around the theme of nature, biodiversity and wellbeing: green citizen initiatives, liveable cities and green care. Most of my work is inspired by systems thinking and salutogenesis. I mainly do participatory action research and mixed methods research.
I am coordinator of the European Training Consortium in Public Health and Health Promotion (ETC-PHHP) and I am an active member of the Global Working group on Salutogenesis. I was Scientific Director of the Centre for Space, Place and Society of WUR (2022-2025).
MADE is an interdisciplinary program with lecturers and students that all have different backgrounds. So many qualities! Courses include mainly real-life cases. I love this diversity and connection with real life as it facilitates transdisciplinary learning and builds long-term relationships.
“Lenneke loves learning and challenging others to learn in an inspiring and safe environment”