Owen O'Donnell is a Full Professor of Applied Economics at the Erasmus School of Economics and Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management , Erasmus University Rotterdam. He is a Research Fellow at the Tinbergen Institute and an Editor of the Journal of Health Economics . Education: DPhil, University of York (UK) Research Interests: His work focuses on health economics, including health inequality, health insurance, financial protection, and labor economics, with applications in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. He employs cross-sectional analyses, equity-sensitive frameworks, and global health policy evaluation. Publications & Collaborations: He has published extensively in top journals like Lancet , PLOS Medicine , and Demography , addressing cardiovascular disease, hypertension screening, and healthcare access in India, Philippines, and Sub-Saharan Africa. His recent research emphasizes equity-sensitive welfare weights and treatment gain inequality. Professional Activities: He has served as an Editor for the Journal of Health Economics since 2007 and is actively involved in peer-review and editorial work until 2026.
Dr. Susanne Heeger-Hertter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Law at Utrecht University's Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance. She specializes in International and European Law with a focus on Labour Law and Social Security Law. She is actively involved in the "Future of Work" research program and the research program "Familie en Recht" (Family and Law). Her educational background includes a part-time study of Dutch Law at Utrecht University from 1997 to 2004. She has been working at Utrecht University since 2004 in various capacities, including as a University Lecturer in Social Law since 2011. Dr. Heeger-Hertter's research focuses on labor law aspects of flexible employment relationships and platform work, with particular attention to workers with care responsibilities. Her work examines how legal frameworks can better accommodate the evolving nature of work while protecting workers' rights and supporting those who balance employment with care duties. She conducts comparative research between the Netherlands and Germany, particularly regarding policies for workers with care responsibilities. Her scholarly contributions span labor law, social security law, and the legal implications of new work arrangements. She has published extensively on topics including on-call work, platform economy regulations, work-life balance policies, and comparative approaches to care-related leave in the Netherlands and Germany. Dr. Heeger-Hertter has been actively involved in numerous research activities and conferences, presenting her work at international venues. She has collaborated with various institutions including the ILO (International Labour Organization) on projects related to decent work and has contributed to policy discussions at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. She has teaching responsibilities in labor law and social security law at Utrecht University. Her practical experience includes a secondment to the Department of Legislation, Administrative and Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (2012-2013).
Prof. Wouter Botzen holds a dual role as a full Professor of Economics of Global Environmental Change at the Utrecht University School of Economics and Professor of Economics of Climate Change and Natural Disasters at VU University Amsterdam's Department of Environmental Economics, where he also serves as Head of the department. He is a senior research fellow at the Wharton School's Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at the University of Pennsylvania. His work bridges environmental economics, risk analysis, and policy design. Botzen earned his MSc in Economics from Maastricht University (2005–2006) and completed his PhD at VU University Amsterdam (2006–2009). His academic career includes prior roles as Associate and Assistant Professor at VU University (2010–2016) and visiting scholar positions at institutions in the U.S. and Spain. His research focuses on climate change economics, behavioral responses to disaster risks, valuation of natural environments, and flood risk management. He emphasizes integrating behavioral insights into policy tools, such as insurance mechanisms to incentivize risk reduction and adaptation. Key projects include Future Deltas , NATURVATION , and Pathways to Sustainability , which explore urban resilience, nature-based solutions, and socio-economic tipping points from climate impacts. Botzen has received prestigious awards such as the Vidi and Veni scholarships from NWO, the Lloyd's Science of Risk Prize, and multiple best-paper awards in Risk Analysis . His grants include EU-funded initiatives like NATURVATION and Dutch-funded projects on sustainable energy governance. He collaborates extensively with academic teams and policymakers, contributing to global studies on flood risk, carbon pricing, and climate adaptation policies. His work aims to address systemic challenges in risk mitigation and resource allocation through interdisciplinary frameworks.
Marcel van Asseldonk is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research, affiliated with Wageningen Economic Research (WASS). He holds the title dr.ir. and serves as Project Leader for 25 initiatives, including the active LWV20182 Climate Resilient Agro Sourcing in Africa (2025). His role centers on Transition Risk & Innovation Governance, with 289 research outputs spanning articles, reports, and conference papers. He is frequently engaged by policymakers and international bodies like the World Bank's Global Index Insurance Facility. His research fingerprint reveals dominant expertise in Smallholder Economics (100%), Finance Economics (64%), and Credit (52%), alongside Risk Management (44%), Climate Smart Agriculture (44%), and Pig farming (44%). He specializes in quantitative risk assessment for agricultural systems, focusing on economic resilience for smallholders, livestock sector impacts, and climate adaptation. His work consistently bridges econometric modeling with practical policy solutions for rural development. Recent 2025 publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward integrated risk tools (e.g., L'ORA for zoonotic diseases), economic impact analysis of animal welfare policies, and agricultural insurance design. These outputs emphasize data-driven approaches to quantify financial exposure in farming, particularly for climate shocks and market volatility. The Dutch livestock sector and African smallholder contexts remain central to his applied research. Van Asseldonk has supervised 4 formal works and leads projects funded by EU/LVNN frameworks like MEF4CAP and Add_Uitwerking bedrijfstypen duurzame landbouw. His collaborations span international consortia addressing food safety in African urban markets (2021-2024) and sensor-based monitoring for sustainable development. Media engagements include Dutch press on animal welfare costs (2025) and expert commentary on harvest failure risks (2019). As a core member of Wageningen Economic Research, he operates within interdisciplinary teams developing risk governance frameworks. His current focus includes the L'ORA tool for zoonotic disease assessment and climate-resilient sourcing models in Africa, leveraging partnerships with entities like the World Bank to translate research into policy instruments.
Erwin Bulte is a Professor of Development Economics at Wageningen University and holds a part-time professorship in Institutions and Development at Utrecht University (1 day/week). He is also a fellow at the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge and The Oxford Center for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies (OxCarre). His research focuses on agricultural development, poverty alleviation, environmental economics, and the intersection of health and economic policies in low-income countries. Notably, he advises the World Bank on impact evaluations for agricultural value chain programs in Kenya and Ethiopia. His work emphasizes experimental approaches to understand technology adoption, market dynamics, and institutional governance. Recent projects include analyzing rebound effects of energy efficiency in Rwanda, evaluating insurance adoption mechanisms in Kenya, and studying malaria prevention strategies in Ethiopia. Bulte leads the Development Economics Group (DEC) at Wageningen, which designs interventions addressing sustainable development challenges. His research often combines field experiments with policy analysis to bridge theoretical insights and real-world applications. Key contributions include frameworks for certifying agricultural products (e.g., Ethiopian wheat markets), understanding gender norms through graduation programs, and exploring governance structures in resource management. Collaborations span institutions like CGIAR and the World Bank, focusing on scaling innovations in agricultural value chains and fostering inclusive growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Erik Bähre is an Associate Professor at Leiden University's Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Specializing in economic anthropology, his research examines the intersections of financial systems, kinship, and social networks, particularly in South Africa, Brazil, and The Netherlands. His work addresses how economic ideologies shape inequality, violence, and moral frameworks around solidarity. Bähre has held roles at institutions including the University of Amsterdam and the London School of Economics. Notable achievements include receiving an ERC Consolidator Grant for his 'Moralising Misfortune' project (2016–2021), exploring commercial insurance's moral dimensions. He actively engages in media, contributing to radio, blogs, and public discourse on topics like pandemic responses and financial ethics. His research also emphasizes methodological innovation, integrating ethnography with mixed-method approaches for comparative anthropology. Education: PhD from the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam (2002). Previous affiliations include the University of Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal), University College Utrecht, and the University of Brasília as a visiting researcher. Research Focus: Bähre's work investigates how financial institutions and global economic shifts impact personal relationships and societal structures. Key themes include the financialization of kinship, the moral implications of insurance, and the role of bureaucracy in accessing care. His ERC-funded project compares these dynamics across six countries, revealing tensions between market-driven systems and communal solidarity. Awards & Grants: ERC Consolidator Grant, NIAS Fellowship, Wenner-Gren Foundation grant, and NWO postdoc grant. His writings span academic articles, public blogs, and media commentary on topics ranging from GDPR ethics to the cultural politics of the Sinterklaas tradition. Teaching: Leads courses in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at both BSc and MSc levels at Leiden University. Lab/Team: Directs the 'Moralising Misfortune' research group, collaborating with four PhD researchers and visiting scholars to analyze commercial insurance's moral dimensions globally.
Caroline van Dullemen is a Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She specializes in public policy, aging populations, and social innovation, with a focus on resilience, intergenerational equity, and financial security in developing countries. Her ancillary roles include serving as Commissaris at SAG Amsterdam (since 2021) and lid raad van Toezicht at Zonnehuisgroep Vlaardingen (since 2024). Her research explores societal resilience during crises, micro-pension systems in low-income nations, and the political economy of aging. Key topics include pandemic policy responses, pension accessibility for vulnerable groups, and gender disparities in retirement planning. She has published widely on global aging challenges, healthcare equity, and intergenerational solidarity. Van Dullemen's recent work highlights the Dutch approach to pandemic governance and the integration of engaged scholarship methodologies. Her articles span from microfinance innovations in the Solomon Islands to financial stress impacts on elderly well-being in China. She collaborates internationally, addressing policy solutions for aging populations in emerging economies. Academically, she contributes to courses on governance, public administration, and policy analysis. Her career reflects a commitment to bridging academic research with real-world policy implementation.
mr.drs. Ilona van der Zalm serves as a Lecturer at the Erasmus School of Law , specializing in Civil Law . Her academic work focuses on tort law, liability frameworks, and employer obligations in workplace safety cases. She actively engages in case note analysis and legal commentary. 2017: Analyzed death damage compensation methodologies 2016: Investigated accountant liability limitations and psychiatric injury claims 2016: Examined employer liability in work-related accidents Her research explores intersections between Dutch civil law and judicial interpretations of financial loss, mental trauma, and workplace safety compliance. Recent publications demonstrate trends in analyzing complex liability scenarios, particularly in employer responsibilities, mental injury claims, and duty of care assessments. She frequently collaborates with researchers like M. de Groot and H. Verweij-Hoogendijk.
Benedict Dellaert is a Professor of Marketing at the Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam. He is a Fellow of ERIM (Erasmus Research Institute of Management) and a research fellow at the Tinbergen Institute. His research focuses on consumer decision-making and consumer-firm interaction, with applications in digital marketing, financial services, healthcare, and travel. He has collaborated with firms like Achmea and APG on projects involving online risk communication and personalized recommendations. Professor Dellaert’s academic journey includes former positions at the University of Sydney, Tilburg University, Maastricht University, and Monash University (Melbourne, fractional). He is also affiliated with the Network for Studies on Pensions, Aging and Retirement (Netspar). His research explores topics like robo-advice regulation, pension risk preferences, and behavioral decision-making. His recent work emphasizes the interplay between algorithm quality and digital choice architecture in financial decisions, as well as the design of interactive tools to support consumer decisions (e.g., the Distribution Builder for pension planning). He has contributed to health-related studies, such as discrete choice experiments for osteoporosis drug treatments and colorectal cancer screening participation. Key themes in his publications include behavioral economics applications, consumer trust in AI-driven systems, and the optimization of recommendation systems. His work often bridges theory and practice, aiming to improve real-world decision-making processes in finance, healthcare, and retail.
Dr. Raun van Ooijen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Health Sciences. He holds affiliate roles as a fellow at Netspar and the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health, and serves as a scientific advisor and former program lead at DatapoortNoord.nl. His research focuses on health economics, public health, and public economics, particularly examining health-related risks over the life cycle, work disability, long-term care, and the socioeconomic impacts of social insurance programs. He has led projects funded by Netspar (2022-2025) and ZonMw (2022-2025), addressing topics like employer roles in workplace accommodation and household risk capacity. Key research trends include analyzing employer policies' effects on sustained employment of disabled workers, innovative financing mechanisms for long-term care using housing wealth, and the interplay between aging populations and social insurance systems. His work frequently combines register data and survey research to evaluate policy impacts. Teaching: Health Systems and Prevention courses at the Research Master level Publications span Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health , Journal of Health Economics , and BMJ Open He contributes to policy debates on aging societies through media engagement and collaborative initiatives like the Groningen Well-being Index. His interdisciplinary approach bridges economics, public health, and labor market dynamics.
