Laura Schaap

Dr. Laura Schaap is an Associate Professor at the Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research focuses on healthy aging, emphasizing sex and gender differences, and the impact of physical/social environments on older adults' well-being. She teaches "Geriatrics and Aging" to bachelor students, integrating multidisciplinary aging domains.

• Key Research Areas: Sarcopenia, osteoarthritis, intrinsic capacity, person-environment fit, epidemiology.
• Projects: Leads international initiatives like IMPROve (Intrinsic Capacity Maintenance) and contributes to the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA).

Recent publications analyze gender bias in healthcare, intrinsic capacity trajectories, and muscle mass associations with aging outcomes. Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being for older populations.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Fellowship grant from EMGO+ for sarcopenia research.

She collaborates extensively with institutions like the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and participates in projects standardizing sarcopenia measurement in clinical practice.