Luuk Lagerwerf

Dr. Luuk Lagerwerf is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Information Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. He also holds an affiliation with the Network Institute. His research focuses on communication message design and effects in news, political, and health contexts, employing methodologies like linguistic analysis, corpus studies, experimentation, and media effects research. He has contributed to educational program development, including Communication Science programs at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Twente. Lagerwerf has served in academic management roles, including acting chair positions and eight years as interim head of Communication Science and Language and Communication departments until 2020. He is editor of Tekstblad since 2007 and secretary of the Vereniging Interuniversitair Overleg Taalbeheersing (VIOT) until 2019. Current roles include Programme Director of Communication and Information Studies since 2021.

• Education Contributions: Developed courses across linguistics, sociology, and communication studies; led program renewals and educational committees.
• Research Interests: News and political communication effects, visual metaphors, health communication strategies, and advertising effectiveness.
• Projects: Recent initiatives include Valuing Visuals (visual element analysis in art and social media) and Clickworthiness (headline characteristics predicting audience engagement).
• Teaching: Courses include Communication and Effect Research, Forensic Linguistics, and Narrative Analysis.

His work bridges interdisciplinary research and practical application, with over 70 publications and active roles in academic governance and professional journalism.