Lieve Van den Block

Lieve Van den Block is Full Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and founding chair of the Ageing and Palliative Care Research Program within the End-of-Life Care Research Group, which she co-chairs with Prof. Joachim Cohen. Her dual affiliation spans VUB and Ghent University in Belgium, where she leads national and international initiatives focused on palliative care systems for aging populations.

Her educational foundation includes a Master in Clinical Psychology and PhD in Medical Social Sciences. These qualifications underpin her 20+ years of expertise in developing evidence-based interventions for serious illness care.

Her research pioneers integrative approaches at the intersection of palliative care, geriatrics, and public health. Key themes include advance care planning for dementia patients, compassionate community models, and policy frameworks for residential aged care. She employs mixed-methods designs spanning epidemiological studies, Delphi consensus processes, and digital health innovation.

Recent publications reveal accelerating trends in technology-enabled care solutions and cross-border policy harmonization. Her team's work increasingly addresses environmental determinants of end-of-life experiences through interdisciplinary 'Compassionate Communities' frameworks, reflecting Europe's evolving long-term care landscape.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Collen-Francqui Research Professor Chair (2020)
• EAPC Early Researcher Award (2014)
• Excellent PhD Supervision Award (2018)
• Léon Favyts and Hugo Van den Enden Award (2018)
• 2nd place Passion for Palliative Care (2018)

She mentors doctoral candidates through VUB's graduate programs while securing competitive funding from the European Commission (including Horizon Europe coordination), national research councils, and health charities. Current projects like EU NAVIGATE demonstrate her leadership in translating evidence into practice across 28 European countries.

Her End-of-Life Care Research Group operates as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating psychologists, clinicians, and policymakers within VUB's Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy. The Aging and Palliative Care Reference Group she chairs at the European Association for Palliative Care extends this influence continent-wide.