Steven Vanderstichelen

Steven Vanderstichelen is a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, specializing in palliative care and compassionate community development. He serves as Research Coordinator of the Compassionate Communities Centre of Expertise at VUB and holds affiliations with the End-of-Life Care Research Group and Family Medicine and Chronic Care department.

His educational background includes a Master's in Sociology (Ghent University, 2014) and PhD in Social Health Sciences (2019). Current appointments include FWO Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Steering Group Member of multiple international initiatives including the EAPC Task Force on Volunteering and Public Health Palliative Care International Council.

• Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Primary Institution)
• Ghent University (Secondary Affiliation)
• End-of-Life Care Research Group (Core Research Unit)
• Compassionate Communities Centre of Expertise (Research Coordinator)
• EAPC Reference Group on Public Health and Palliative Care (Steering Member)

Vanderstichelen's research focuses on developing and evaluating compassionate community models across various settings including neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. His pioneering work on Death Literacy has established new frameworks for measuring community capacity in end-of-life support. Current projects include EU-CoWork (Horizon Europe), Death Literacy causal mechanisms research, and the Thoughtful Visitors homecare initiative.

His publication record shows strong recent output with 30+ research items since 2018, demonstrating expertise in mixed-methods approaches combining population surveys with qualitative community engagement. The 2025 articles reveal an expanding focus on older adult mental health and self-harm prevention alongside core palliative care work.

• Best Abstract Award at 16th World Congress of European Association for Palliative Care (2019)
• Multiple Best Abstract Awards (2019-2023)
• FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Leadership in International Death Literacy Network

As scientific coordinator of VUB's Interdisciplinary Research Program IRP16, he directs collaborative work across 8 research groups from 4 faculties. His grant portfolio includes Kom op Tegen Kanker funding and Horizon Europe projects totaling over €2M. He supervises junior researchers including Tom Van Ransbeeck and serves as co-PI on multiple international collaborations. Current laboratory work focuses on Death Literacy measurement and compassionate workplace development through the EU-CoWork project.