Health scientist Judith Rietjens received the For Women in Science Fellowship in an award ceremony on 11 October. The Fellowship aims to boost the career of talented life scientists.
Judith Rietjens
Judith Rietjens (34, Erasmus University Rotterdam) won the fellowship because of her outstanding interdisciplinary research on the use of palliative sedation (a treatment that entails the use of sedating drugs to relieve unbearable suffering for patients approaching death). She currently works at the Department of Public Health at the Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam and at the End-of-life Care Research Group at Ghent University & Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
The fellowship allows Rietjens to create a theoretical framework that will be able to explain the differences in the use of palliative sedation in diverse countries. She will compare empirical research from the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and the US. Rietjens: “I am driven by the desire to improve end-of-life care for patients. The goal of my research is to contribute to a more evidence based and culturally sensitive health care and decision making process for patients approaching death.” With this research, she hopes to give direction to health policy making.
More about Judith Rietjens, her work and her motives, can be found here (YouTube).
The For Women in Science Fellowship
The For Women in Science Fellowship aims to boost the careers of talented female academics. L’Oréal en UNESCO have launched the international L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ programme in 1998. On 11 October, during the PumpYourCareer event in the Beurs van Berlage, the first Dutch L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ Fellowship was awarded. The Dutch For Women in Science Fellowship is a joint venture by L’Oréal, UNESCO, NIAS and the Landelijk Netwerk Vrouwelijke Hoogleraren (LNVH).
Judith Rietjens (left) wins the first Dutch For Women in Science Fellowship.
From left to right: Aafke Hulk (Rector NIAS), Udo Springer (Managing Director L’Oréal Benelux), Judith Rietjens (winner) and Greetje van den Bergh (President of National UNESCO Committee).