Daphne was trained as a doctor and studied medicine at Leiden University. She followed the Vitality and Aging minor and during her research internship investigated how public space can elicit healthy behaviour, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. David van Bodegom. Since March 1, 2023, she has been working as a PhD candidate at Leyden Academy and Leiden University Medical Center. Daphne is interested in preventive health and lifestyle medicine and advocates for care that meets the needs of patients. She now conducts research how the health of diabetes patients is influenced by the living environment and by peer coaching with experts in the neighbourhood.
Challenging conversations in which taboos are broken, about themes such as sexual health, abortion care, psychological disorder and death, are of particular interest to Daphne. In order to analyse these topics from a different perspective and to question the healthcare system, Daphne is taking a master’s degree in Philosophy, Bioethics and Health at the VU University in Amsterdam. During her PhD, she combines her interest in science and education with the desire to make a social impact.