Thessa Hilgenkamp

Thessa Hilgenkamp is an Assistant Professor in the Department of General Practice at Erasmus MC, where she conducts impactful research on health and well-being in adults with intellectual disabilities. Her work bridges clinical practice and public health, focusing on preventive strategies and health equity.

Her research interests are centered on intellectual disabilities, cardiovascular disease, physical fitness, healthy aging, and lifestyle interventions. She employs systematic reviews and population-based studies to understand health disparities and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations. A key project she is involved in is the Healthy Ageing and Intellectual Disability study, which investigates aging-related health risks in this group.

The trends in her recent publications reveal a strong focus on evidence synthesis through systematic reviews, particularly on cardiovascular risk and fitness measurement in Down syndrome and intellectual disability populations. Her work frequently appears in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, indicating her leadership in this niche field.

Dr. Hilgenkamp supervises academic work, with three supervised projects documented, though specific student names are not listed. She collaborates widely across disciplines and institutions, contributing to multidisciplinary research teams focused on disability and health.

She is actively involved in developing measurement tools and protocols, such as questionnaires assessing professional attitudes toward nutrition and standardized methods for assessing oxygen consumption. Her research has garnered citations and attention on platforms like Mendeley and X, reflecting its relevance and reach.