Romy Van Rickstal

Romy Van Rickstal is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health and Primary Care. She works within the End-of-Life Care Research Group and Family Medicine and Chronic Care department, focusing on dementia care and advance care planning.

Her research interests center on end-of-life care in dementia, with specific expertise in young-onset dementia cases and their family caregivers. Dr. Van Rickstal conducts qualitative research examining perspectives on advance care planning, developing a holistic, flexible, and relational approach to care. Her work bridges clinical psychology, palliative medicine, and geriatric care, with particular attention to ethical considerations around euthanasia and decision-making capacity in dementia patients.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trajectory in dementia research, with multiple peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals such as Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, Patient Education and Counseling, and Palliative Medicine. Her research shows consistent focus on understanding patient, caregiver, and physician perspectives to improve care pathways.

• Léon Favyts and Hugo Van den Enden Award (2018)
• Fellowship of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for Advance Care Planning in Young-Onset Dementia (2019-2023)

Dr. Van Rickstal actively contributes to the field through numerous conference presentations at major international events including the Alzheimer Europe Conference and Alzheimer's Disease International Conference. She participates in significant research projects including FWOSB51 (Advance Care Planning with people with dementia) and ANI336 (CARE ECO BELGIUM pilot testing). Her work has substantial real-world impact, particularly in developing communication strategies for healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic and creating skills training for physicians in dementia care.

As a member of the End-of-Life Care Research Group, she collaborates with leading researchers including Prof. Lieve Van den Block and Dr. Aline De Vleminck, contributing to Belgium's national knowledge infrastructure for young-onset dementia care.