Julie Stevens

Julie Stevens is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), affiliated with the End-of-Life Care Research Group and the Family Medicine and Chronic Care department. She is currently working on the EU PAL-COPD project under Horizon Europe, focusing on integrating palliative care into respiratory care for advanced COPD patients.

• Bachelor of Arts (Psychology, German, History), Stetson University (2014, summa cum laude)
• Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, University of Ghent (2017, magna cum laude)
• PhD in Social Health Sciences (VUB)/Health Sciences (UGent) (2024)

Her research centers on advance care planning (ACP) in general practice, with a focus on:

• Public health approaches to ACP and serious illness conversations
• Patient-clinician communication about end-of-life care
• Mixed methods research in RCTs
• Complex chronic illness management

Her publications since 2022 highlight ACP interventions in primary care, RCT outcomes, and implementation frameworks like RE-AIM. Key themes include patient autonomy, interdisciplinary healthcare, and palliative care integration.

Scientific awards:

• FWO predoctoral fellowship

Julie has presented at international conferences on ACP for dementia and life-limiting illnesses (2025), RCT findings (2022), and participated in end-of-life law and ethics events (2019).