Koen Pardon

Koen Pardon is a full-time Professor of Health Communication and Palliative Care at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) since October 1, 2018. He leads the 'Palliative Care for People with Cancer' research program within the End-of-Life Care Alliance Research Group, a collaboration between VUB and Ghent University. His work focuses on integrating early palliative care into oncological and COPD treatment, evidenced by projects like the IPAC study and EU PAL COPD. He also serves as VUB's central ombudsperson, advocating for fairness in academic processes.

Research Interests: Koen’s research spans palliative care, health communication, advance care planning (ACP), euthanasia, and patient-centered care. He explores innovative ACP models for general practice and COPD patients, ethical dimensions of euthanasia in psychiatry, and digital tools to enhance cancer care. His work bridges public health, clinical practice, and policy development.

Article Trends: Recent publications highlight ACP implementation, palliative care integration in chronic diseases, and ethical frameworks for end-of-life decisions. Keywords include randomized trials, qualitative analysis, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Scientific Awards:
• Best Abstract Award (2017)
• Catherine Pouget Award (2011)
• Nominee for VUB Professor of the Year (2019)

Grants & Leadership: He has secured EU HORIZON projects and leads multidisciplinary teams in Flanders. His role in ACP-GP trials and the MyPath project underscores his influence in clinical and health services research.

Labs & Teams: As co-leader of the End-of-Life Care Alliance Research Group, he collaborates with Ghent University and European institutions. His datasets (e.g., ACP-GP patient data) support evidence-based policy.