Leontien Van Wely

Leontien Van Wely, PhD, serves as a Researcher in the Department of General Practice at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam. Her academic work focuses on cerebral palsy across the lifespan, emphasizing physical-mental health interactions and social participation in adolescents and young adults with disabilities.

Dr. Van Wely's research centers on cerebral palsy symptomology including pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms, and sleep disorders. She investigates how these factors impact daily functioning and quality of life, with particular attention to predictors of participation in domestic life and interpersonal relationships. Her work bridges rehabilitation science, neurology, and developmental psychology to identify modifiable factors enhancing long-term outcomes.

Analysis of her 2019-2021 publications reveals consistent use of longitudinal cohort methodologies including 13-year follow-ups. Key trends include multisymptom burden assessment in young adults with cerebral palsy and identification of childhood/adolescent predictors for adult social integration. Her research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary collaboration across rehabilitation centers and consistently targets clinical interventions for improving functional independence.