Barbara van Leeuwen

Prof. dr. Barbara van Leeuwen is a full professor at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Medical Sciences, where she leads research in surgical oncology and geriatric care. Her work focuses on optimizing outcomes for elderly cancer patients through innovative surgical approaches and patient-centered care models.

Her research spans:

• Oncologic surgery outcomes and risk stratification
• Geriatric oncology and frailty assessment
• Shared decision-making in cancer treatment
• Arts in health interventions (music therapy)
• Health economics in surgical oncology

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on melanoma management, sarcoma diagnostics, and perioperative care optimization, with emerging work on non-pharmacological interventions like music therapy for surgical patients.

Scientific Recognition:

• National representative for the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) since 2020

She leads two research groups: 'Innovative Clinical Studies and Long-term Treatment Consequences in Cancer' (InClinS) and 'Cure and Care in the Community Context' (FOUR-C), supervising multiple research projects on surgical outcomes and patient-centered care.