Alumnus testimonial
Marije Stoelinga - Junior Project Manager at iresearch
Ever since I was young, I’ve been interested in healthy lifestyle choices, nutrition and exercise. These are all aspects that were adequately addressed during the Master’s specialisation in Health and Society. I made the choice to specifically focus on lifestyle interventions during my Master’s programme by writing a thesis at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research and by completing a research internship that focused on the practical adaptation of interventions at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). My internship gave me the opportunity to greatly expand my network by giving workshops at such events as the Healthy Lifestyle Congress. It was this event that brought me into contact with my current employer: iresearch.
I’ve learnt about the many different aspects of the public health sector
Taking part in different projects at iresearch has allowed me to continue to pursue my interest in prevention, lifestyle, interventions and behavioural change. In the interests of people’s health and well-being, we’re committed to carrying out assignments at strategic, tactical and operational levels. Our specialities include complex issues, network approaches and research studies. In my work, I’m now encountering the diversity of topics that were covered in my Master’s specialisation.
What I like about working at iresearch is that I get to collaborate with my colleagues and clients while I’m carrying out my projects. My work provides me with many opportunities to develop my potential and to focus on a variety of complex issues and research studies. Examples of this include advising on beneficial healthcare facilities, conducting a study on psychosocial support for young people with chronic illnesses, creating grant application dashboards and preparing intervention reports so that they can be included in the intervention database. Within a short space of time, I’ve learnt about the many different aspects of the public health sector and I find it invigorating to work on issues that contribute to a healthier society. I believe that more attention still needs to be devoted to prevention and health promotion, but thankfully the first steps have already been taken!