Eveline Bleiker appointed professor

02-07-2018

Eveline Bleiker has been appointed Professor of Psychology of Clinical Genetics, specifically oncogenetics, effective from 1 July 2018. This chair is located at the Department of Clinical Genetics of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). With her appointment, she can develop interventions aimed at improving the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of psychosocial problems in people with an increased risk of cancer.

Eveline Bleiker's research group focuses on studying and improving the quality of life and the quality of care for people with (an increased risk of) cancer. The chair links up with one of the five themes of the Netherlands Cancer Institute: quality of life. People who have an increased chance of developing a (next) tumor due to a hereditary predisposition will be monitored for life or undergo drastic risk-reducing operations to reduce their risk of cancer. The lifelong threat of the disease, in combination with the processing of the experiences with the disease, can be a difficult task for patients and family members in these high-risk families.

Genetic research has gained more and more ground in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer in recent years. The importance of clear risk communication, the 'decision making,' the use of decision aids, and the timely recognition of psychosocial problems in people with (a high risk of) cancer are becoming increasingly clear. Due to, among other things, the increased possibilities of broad deployment ofnext generation sequencing and panel tests based on this, counselling has become more complicated for both the professional and the patient.

Bleiker: "This chair will further strengthen the collaboration between the LUMC and the Netherlands Cancer Institute in the field of oncogenetics. We will focus on the development, testing and implementation of psychosocial interventions to improve risk communication, to identify psychosocial problems, and to treat and prevent these problems."

Eveline Bleiker appointed professor

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