From 1 October 2022, Mirjam Sombroek van Doorm (1968) is Professor of Law and Health at the Institute of Private Law. On 26 April 2024 she delivered her inaugural address. The broad remit law and health reflects the ambition to strengthen the collaboration between Leiden Law School and the Faculty of Medicine/LUMC, and other faculties. Progress with this collaboration can be advanced in part due to her successful grant applications in the area of law and health. In addition to these positions, she is member of the Dutch Health Council and acts as a disciplinary judge at the Regional Disciplinary Court for Healthcare in Amsterdam.

More information about Mirjam Sombroek-van Doorm

Education

In 1993, Mirjam Sombroek van Doorm graduated with a law degree from Leiden University (international law). In addition, she also studied French language and literature at both Sorbonne (Paris III) and Leiden University, completing her degree in 1996. In 2019, she was awarded a PhD on the subject: 'Medical confidentiality and the duty of care of the doctor in the legal relationship between doctor, child and parents'.

Career

Mirjam Sombroek has consistently held various administrative and management positions alongside her academic work. From 2019 to 2023, she was a member of the Faculty Board of Leiden Law School at Leiden University in addition to her scholarly activities. Since October 2022, she has been a full-time professor of Law & Health at Leiden University. Besides this position, she serves as a visiting professor at the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas. She is member of the Dutch Health Council and acts as a disciplinary judge at the Regional Disciplinary Court for Healthcare in Amsterdam.

Research areas

Mirjam Sombroek has secured a number of research grants, particularly at the intersection of healthcare law, children's rights, and medical innovations, for example in the field of gene therapy for children (NWA project Cure4Life) and stem cell research (NWA project regenerative medicine). She has also obtained funding through university profile areas and conducts legal research on issues related to drug discovery and development, regenerative medicine, and population health. Together with her team of doctoral candidates and researchers, she examines the legal aspects of medical innovations, innovations in healthcare, and of other societal developments related to gender, health, and migration. Where possible and necessary, she incorporates the perspective of children's rights into her healthcare law research. This involves the unique position of children in healthcare law, their right to health, participation, and shared decision-making.

At the request of the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, she is currently involved in a Jean Monnet application focused on collaboration between Europe and Africa in the areas of health and migration. She is also active in establishing partnerships with other foreign universities in the field of One Health within the international university consortium Una Europa.

Educational Activities

Mirjam teaches health law in the master's programme in Rechtsgeleerdheid (Law) at Leiden University. She also teaches in the Leiden interdisciplinary minor on child abuse. She supervises theses in the field of health law and child and youth law, is actively involved in postgraduate education, and frequently gives lectures and interviews. Additionally, she serves as a visiting professor in health law in the master's programme at the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

Additional activities

Mirjam is a member of the team of contributors for the prestigious legislative commentary Tekst & Commentaar Gezondheidsrecht (Text & Commentary on Healthcare Law). She is also a co-author of Bijzondere Overeenkomsten in the Studiereeks Burgerlijk Recht (Special Contracts in the Civil Law Study Series). Furthermore, she is part of the editorial board of the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Jeugdrecht (Dutch Journal of Youth Law) and the Leerboek Gezondheidsrecht (Textbook on Health Law). She serves as a disciplinary judge in the Regional Disciplinary Court for Healthcare in Amsterdam and has twice been part of a committee of experts for the Dutch Health Council.

Principal positions

• Professor of Law and Health at the Institute of Private Law (2022-present)
• Director of Leiden Law School and appointed to the Faculty Board (2019-2023)
• Associate Professor in Health Law (2020-2022)
• Director of Legal Postgraduate Training (JPAO), Office for International Education, Marketing & Communication, and Faculty Office of Leiden Law School (2019) 
• Director of the E.M. Meijers Institute, research institute and Graduate School and PhD candidate (2016-2019)

Other positions

• Professeure invitée (Visiting professor) at École de droit de la Sorbonne, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (2022-present)
• Professeure invitée (Visiting professor) at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Assas (2023-present)
• Judge at the Regional Disciplinary Court for Healthcare in Amsterdam (2017-present)
• Member of the Self Steering Committe One Health/Una Europa (2022-present)
• Member Healthy Society (cooperation between Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities;  2023-present)
• Consulted as an expert to provide urgent advice to the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) on the vaccination of healthy children aged younger than 12 years, and which vaccine to use (December 2021)
• Consulted as an expert to provide urgent advice to the VWS on the vaccination of healthy children aged 12 years and above, and which vaccine to use (June 2021)
• Author Text & Commentary on Healthcare Law (since 2020)
• Author of Bijzondere Overeenkomsten in Studiereeks Burgerlijk Recht (SBR) (section on Special Agreements in Study Series on Dutch Civil Law) (from 2023)
• Assistant Professor at the Department of Child Law (2018-2020)
• Member of the monitoring committee for the evaluation of the Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (Obligatory Reporting Code) Act and the Young People at Risk Reference Index Act (2019)
• Academic Coordinator Pre-PhD programme (2018-2019)
• Chairman of the Foundation KinderrechtenNU (2015-2016)
• Member of Leiden Interdisciplinary Network Child abuse & neglect (LINC) (2012-present)
• Member of the Dutch Health Council (2024-present)

Successful grant applications 2021-2022

• NWA call CURE4LIFE. Development and societal impact of stem cell-based genetic medicines (2022-2023 PhD position)
• NWA-small project Regenerative Medicine in context: let’s start preparing society for the impact. Informed consent and ownership with respect to (the use of) body material in regenerative medicine (2022-2023 postdoc 2 years).
• ZonMW, Clinical DECIsion support system for carDiovasculaire risk managEment in primary healthcare: een Verantwoordelijk- en Aansprakelijkheidsperspectief (DECIDE-VerA)
• ZonMW fourth evaluation of the Wet Medisch-wetenschappelijk Onderzoek met Mensen (WMO) (2022-2023)
• University Research Profile Area subsidies (2023-2026):
  - Regenerative medicine
  - Population Health
  - Drug discovery and -development
• Meijers PhD position on Credibility Assessment of asylum claims lodged by minors on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity from a health law perspective (2023)
• Nu Niet Zwanger programme

Publications

2024

• Sombroek van Doorm, M.P., ‘Palliative care for children at the end-of-life – An international children’s rights approach’ in: Children, Human Rights, and Biomedicine: Protecting Children in the Pursuit of the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (accepted Chapter in book to be published by Brill)
• Sombroek van Doorm M.P.& Hendriks, A.C., ‘Beroepenwetgeving’ in Leerboek Gezondheidsrecht (accepted chapter, to be published by Bohn Stafleu van Loghum/Springer Nature 2024.
• Sombroek van Doorm, M.P. &. Engberts, D.P.,: ‘De arts-patiënt relatie’ in Leerboek Gezondheidsrecht (accepted chapter, to be published by Bohn Stafleu van Loghum/Springer Nature 2024).
• Sombroek van Doorm, M.P., Hendriks A.C. & Vries M.C. de, ‘Gender en gezondheidsrecht – juridische en ethische aspecten’ in Liber Amicorum Johan Legemaate, accepted chapter to be published in 2024).
• Sombroek van Doorm M.P. & Stolker C.J.J.M., annotatie bij: RTG Zwolle 17 maart 2023, nr. Z2021/3661, ECLI:NL:TGZRZWO:2023:72. TvGR 48(2): 151-171 (vertrouwensarts, beroepsgeheim, aangifte door Veilig Thuis?).
• Vries M.C. de, Hendriks A.C. & Sombroek-van Doorm M.P. (2024), Het weigeren van een behandeling of zorg als vorm van kindermishandeling. In: Putte E.M. van de, Russel I.M.B. & Teeuw A.H. (red.), Medisch handboek kindermishandeling. Houten: Bohn Stafleu Van Loghum. 273-283.
• Schleiffert H., Velpen P. van der, Rijlaarsdam C.W., Sombroek-van Doorm M.P., Hellemondt R.E. van & Steegers E.A.P. (2024), Zet in op reproductieve gezondheid voor gezonde generaties, TSG: Tijdschrift voor Gezondheidswetenschappen 102(1): 28-32.

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2016

• Sombroek-van Doorm M.P. & Hellemondt R.E. van (2016), Het medisch beroepsgeheim en kinderbescherming. In: Schreuder A.A.A.M. (Ed.), 2015. Jaarverslag Tuchtcolleges voor de Gezondheidszorg en het College van Medisch Toezicht. Amsterdam: Tuchtcolleges voor de Gezondheidszorg. 10-12.

2009

• Hendriks A.C., Roode R.P. & Sombroek-van Doorm M.P. (2009), Nieuwe KNMG-meldcode kindermishandeling aan de tuchtrechtspraak getoetst, Tijdschrift voor Familie- en Jeugdrecht 107(11): 285-290.

2005

• Stolker C.J.J.M. & Sombroek-van Doorm M.P., annotation: HR 18 March 2005. TvGR 2005(5): 414-433 (2005/26 Baby Kelly; aansprakelijkheid hulpverlener, wrongful life-actie voor het eerst toegewezen naast wrongful birth-actie).

2003

1999

• Stolker C.J.J.M. & Sombroek-van Doorm M.P. (1999), D-Lit: Nederlands recht in vertaling verzameld, De Juridische Bibliothecaris : 28-29.

Teaching & Lectures

• 2023/24 Privatissium ‘The position of the Child in Health Law’ (master’s programme Child Law & gezondheidsrecht)
• 2023 Secret medical et l’abus des enfants (colloque Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas;)
• 2023 Soins palliatifs pédiatriques: les aspects juridiques (colloque Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas)
• 2022-present Droit de la santé (Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne master droit international, européen et comparé)
• 2023 Right to health from a human rights and children’s rights perspective (Université de Pretoria, South Africa)
• 2023 Defence of Preliminary Advice for the Netherlands Association for Health Law in the focus area ‘Youth, care and law’ entitled ‘Het recht op gezondheid vanuit internationaal kinderrechtelijk perspectief’ (The right to health from the perspective of international child law) 
• 2022 Health Law at the École de droit de la Sorbonne, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in the master's programme ‘Droit Européen et international des activités économiques’.
• 2022 Webinar Sterk Huis: Over toestemming & kinderrechten
• 2022 Presentation for professionals 'Nu Niet Zwanger': NNZ: Juridische puntjes op de 'i'
• 2022  Teaching in premaster Pedagogische Wetenschappen, Leiden University: Lecture beroepsethiek (professional ethics)
• 2022 JPAO course Centre for Professional Learning Geweld in afhankelijkheidsrelaties
• 2022 Webinar Sterk Huis: Toestemmingsbeginsel & IVRK vanuit juridisch perspectief
• 2021 JPAO Lecture (in Dutch) on current developments in health law 
• 2020 Lecture (in Dutch) for National Expertise Centre on Child Abuse (LECK): Medical confidentiality and child abuse: New legal grounds for exchanging information 
• 2019 Lecture (in Dutch) for 5th annual conference on health law: The duty of care of medical practitioners
• 2019 Lecture (in Dutch) for confidential doctors and GPs: Medical confidentiality and child abuse: From conflict of duties towards duty of care 
• 2019 Lecture (in Dutch): A Children's rights perspective on mandatory mental health education in schoolswithin the framework of the Gender, Inclusivity and Protecting the 21st Century Family Conference in London
• 2019 Privatissimum: Kind in het gezondheidsrecht (The child in health law) (master's course Child Law)
• 2019 Lecture (in Dutch) Child abuse: From conflict of duties towards duty of care
• 2018 Privatissimum: Kind in het gezondheidsrecht (The child in health law) (master's course Child Law)
• 2018 Practicum Jeugdrecht, Internationale Kinderontvoering (international child abduction) (master's course Child Law)
• 2017 Juridische aspecten van kindermishandeling (Legal aspects of child abuse) (Minor)
• 2016 Lecture (in Dutch) at 3rd national conference on domestic violence: Domestic violence and child abuse: Helping, reporting and helping to report 
• 2015 Lecture (in Dutch): Medical confidentiality and child abuse: recent developments in disciplinary proceedings
• 2014 Presentation (in French) Paris II: Medical Confidentiality in cases of child abuse
• 2012 Lecture (in Dutch) Academisch Genootschap Friesland: Medical confidentiality and child abuse 
• 2012 Lecture (in Dutch) Leiden Interdisicplinary Network Child abuse & neglect (LINC): The duty of care and the duty of confidentiality of the doctor in cases of child abuse
• 2010 Postgraduate course on medial confidentiality in cases of child abuse
• 2010 Lecturer on master's course on health law
• 2009 Boerhaave course (taught in Dutch): The KNMG reporting code one year on - what's possible, what's permitted and what's obligatory (or not); the legal specifics

Editorship

• 2022-present Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Jeugdrecht
• 2021-present Leerboek Gezondheidsrecht. Houten: Bohn Stafleu van Loghum.
• Sombroek van Doorm M.P., Boom W.H. van, Ellian A. & Leun J.P. van der (Eds.) (2021), Cum Suis: Vriendenboek Carel Stolker. Den Haag: Boom Juridisch.

Interviews

• Interview LD March 2024: ‘Abortus in Frankrijk in grondwet, strafrecht bij ons’
• NOVUM februari 2023: Questionnaire, p. 20
• Leiden Law Park: Interview over regeneratieve geneeskunde
• Interview kinderrechtencollectief: Wel/niet vaccineren: "Houd kinderen en jongeren niet klein, maak ze groot en sterk!"
• Medisch contact: Kindermishandeling: zorg-, meld- en zwijgplicht afwegen
• Nederlands Jeugdinstituut: ‘Juridische hulp voor toepassen meldcode’
• Leidsch Dagblad: ‘Oplossing voor duivels dilemma: wat doet arts bij vermoeden van kindermishandeling?’
• Reformatorisch Dagblad: ‘De dokter moet zwijgen of juist niet
• Defence for Children: ‘Het medisch beroepsgeheim versus het melden van (mogelijke) kindemrishandeling’
• Mare: ‘Kindermishandeling: wanneer moet een arts het beroepsgeheim doorbreken?’
• Zorg & Welzijn: ‘Huisarts kan niet uitgaan van meldingsplicht bij kindermishandeling’
• Privacyweb: ‘In gesprek met een beweger: Mirjam Sombroek-van Doorm promovenda aan de universiteit Leiden’

Activities