Sabina van der Veen's research focuses on understanding and enhancing human functioning, behaviour change and improving overall quality of life.

More information about Sabina van der Veen

Sabina van der Veen's research focuses on understanding and enhancing human functioning, behaviour change and improving overall quality of life. 

Research

Van der Veen works as a qualitative researcher and project coordinator of the 'Don't be late!' project, which received a grant from NWO. This project aims to identify (mild) cognitive impairments early in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and offer interventions focused on improving quality of life. 

A second research theme of Van der Veen is the application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework. She has applied the ICF within various research projects, particularly focusing on its utility in understanding the complex interplay between health conditions, functioning, and contextual factors. She explored the application of the ICF in conjunction with the Capability Approach (CA), a normative theoretical framework for the evaluation of human functioning and well-being.

She is also a member of the project team for 'Neighbourhood Happiness' (Buurtgeluk) in Deventer, the Netherlands. This is an initiative aimed at developing joint solutions with various stakeholders at the micro-, meso- and macro-level. Within this initiative she continues to explore the impact of interventions on individuals' functioning and well-being for residents in various districts of Deventer.

Lastly, she is involved in the A-Proof research consortium. This consortium aims to create AI-tools using natural language processing techniques to automatically evaluate how well people are functioning based on categories and levels of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

Education

Van der Veen is involved in the bachelor of Psychology as a thesis supervisor and she teaches in the research master in Clinical and Health Psychology.

Short CV

Van der Veen earned her bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) in 1995. She further specialised and obtained a degree in Pediatric Physical Therapy from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (2000). In 2015 she completed a Master of Public Health at Netherlands School of Occupational and Public Health. From 2015 to 2017 she worked as an advisor to the Committee Innovation Health Care Professions & Education (Kaljouw & Kervezee). In 2019, she co-founded the National Dialogue Community Empowerment to strengthen neighbourhood initiatives aimed at promoting social cohesion, providing care for and with each other, and strengthening participation. Between 2019 and 2022 she coordinated the European Innovation Partnership on Active & Healthy Ageing in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. The aim was to promote cooperation between citizens, governments, health and welfare organizations, knowledge institutions on this topic in the region and with partners in Europe. As a region, the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area was awarded the European Parliament's maximum four stars in both 2019 and 2022. In 2021, she obtained her University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) and completed the training ‘Facilitator Moral Case Deliberation’. In 2024 she defended her PhD dissertation that explored the theoretical frameworks and effects of the BigMove intervention. This is an intervention for people with a combination of physical and mental disorders. She evaluated this innovative approach to person-centered, integrated and community-based care through both quantitative and qualitative research methods. ​​​​​​​

Publications