LUMC • Professor in primary care • Director of master program Vitality and Ageing • Principal Investigator of the LUMC-research program geriatrics in primary care • Staff member of department of Public Health and Primary care, and section Gerontology and Geriatrics in department of Internal Medicine National • Chair of the national committee ‘Population Screening Act‘ of the Health Council of the Netherlands (member since 2009, vice-chair since 2013) Member of Health Council, member of presidium • Chair of the Supervisory participants Board of the Dutch General Practitioners Association (NHG) • Chair of the Elderly Care committee of the Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (member since 2007) • Member of Supervisory Board of ‘Nederlands Instituut voor Onderzoek van de Gezondheidszorg’ (NIVEL) • Member of Supervisory Board of ´Zorg in Houten´, primary care organisation. International: • Member of board of International Thyroid Studies Collaboration • Chair of International Science Board Scientific of the Science Challenge Ageing Well, New Zealand

More information about Jacobijn Gussekloo

Health, functioning and quality of life for older persons

The overall aim of my academic activities is to contribute to health, functioning and quality of life for all older persons outside the hospital by 1) building scientific knowledge and evidence for (the organization of) medical care, and 2) educate students and professionals in these concepts. In the research program we use the perspectives and needs of older people as a guide.

To contribute to health, quality of life and independence in daily functioning of older persons, my research and education is focused on  

1) CONTENT OF MEDICAL CARE   Improvement of etiologic understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of frequently occurring diseases and combinations of diseases and syndromes that influence everyday lives of older persons.

2) ORGANISATION OF MEDICAL CARE  Improvement of organisation of medical care to optimise health outcomes for older persons, taking into account the variety in level of vitality.

Academic career

As a student, during Medical School (university of Leiden, 1984-1991), I joined the team of the Leiden 85-plus Study, a population-based study in the oldest old. After my vocational training for general practitioner, I combined my clinical work in general practice with working at the Leidne 85-plus Study team. In my thesis, various studies were included about cognitive decline in the oldets old. (defendence 13-1-2000 Determinants of cognitive decline in the oldest old). 

In 2005 I was appointed as head of the research section of the department of Public Health and Primary Care in the LUMC. We started the research program Geriatrics in Primary care. At this moment this research group consists of 20-25 PhD students and around 10 senior researchers and postdocs.
 
In 2008 I was appointed by the Leiden University as professor in primary care. (Oratie 16-10-2009 Van oude menschen; de dingen die belangrijk zijn). 

My educational activities for students and professionals are dedicated to geriatrics in primary care. The national educational program for general practitioners with special interest in care for older persons of the Dutch General Practitioners Association (NHG) already exists for more than 10 years. Since 2016 I am appointed as director of the LUMC-master Vitality and Ageing. This one-year international masterprogram is dedicated to the biological, individual and societal aspects of ageing.     

Publications