Merel Schuring

Dr. Merel Schuring is an Assistant Professor in Occupational Health at the Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center. Her research focuses on reducing socioeconomic health inequalities by promoting sustainable employment, particularly among vulnerable populations such as individuals with chronic diseases, mental health challenges, disabilities, and youth at risk of school dropout.

• Institution: Erasmus University Medical Center
• Department: Department of Public Health
• Position: Assistant Professor in Occupational Health

Her research interests lie at the intersection of public health, employment, and social inequality. She investigates how health conditions and working environments influence labor market participation across the life course. Key themes include inclusive hiring practices for people with disabilities, supporting employees with health challenges, and preventing youth unemployment through improved education-to-work transitions.

Methodologically, she specializes in advanced quantitative techniques—including difference-in-differences, multilevel modeling, and propensity score matching—and integrates these with qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups. Her work often employs mixed-methods and realist evaluation approaches to assess interventions like Bewegen Werkt and Werk als Beste Zorg.

The recent article trends reflect a consistent focus on mental health, employment trajectories, socioeconomic disparities, and policy-relevant outcomes. Her work spans epidemiology, occupational health, psychology, and social policy, with strong emphasis on longitudinal and register-based studies, as well as qualitative insights into barriers and facilitators in real-world contexts.

Dr. Schuring collaborates with multidisciplinary teams across public health, psychology, and economics, co-producing knowledge with policymakers and employers to ensure actionable impact. Her research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals on good health, reduced inequalities, and decent work.

• Supervised doctoral students and research projects, including studies on school dropout and mental health
• Involved in evaluating national and regional public health programs
• Active in knowledge translation and stakeholder engagement

She leads and contributes to research groups focused on sustainable employment and health equity, working closely with institutional and community partners to develop evidence-based strategies for inclusive labor markets.