Tuesday, August 5, 2025
We are saddened by the passing of our esteemed Medical Delta professor, Prof. Dr. Andrea Evers. With her drive, enthusiasm, and energy, Andrea was a driving force and inspiration for collaboration, a connector between science and healthcare practice, and a wonderful colleague to work with.
Andrea's involvement with Medical Delta goes back a long way. For example, she was one of the initiators and driving forces behind the BENEFIT for All program, a public-private ecosystem aimed at supporting patients with cardiovascular disease in their own homes with long-term support for a healthy lifestyle. With others, she later set up the broad Healthy Society program. It paved the way for the broader and transdisciplinary collaboration within Medical Delta's 2024-2028 program.
A broad view of health
As a scientist, Andrea has more than earned her stripes. In 2019, she received a Stevin Premie, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands, along with the Spinoza Premie. Following this award, she stated on Leiden University's website:
"Impact on society has always been one of my main motivators. I believe that we all want to rise above ourselves in some way or another in our lives, to contribute to the greater whole. I do this by contributing to the most valuable thing that people possess: their health. As I sometimes say, losing a leg isn’t as bad as being unable to deal with losing a leg. But the medical world often focuses exclusively on physical health, which means less attention to the interaction between body and mind.(…) Traditional health care looks too little at behaviour and lifestyle. What are the patient’s expectations of the treatment? How does the doctor treat his patient? Those kinds of things. When this context is crucial."
These were characteristic statements of hers, representing her way of thinking. Andrea viewed health from different perspectives, all based on the conviction that a single-disciplinary approach is insufficient to improve people's health and well-being. The importance of effective collaboration and seeking connections was on the forefront.
Transdisciplinary 'avant la lettre'
For forging these connections and her pioneering role in interdisciplinary and later transdisciplinary collaboration, Andrea was appointed Medical Delta Professor in 2019 which expanded her appointment at Leiden University (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences) with appointments at TU Delft (Industrial Design) and Erasmus University Rotterdam (ESHPM). A title she took on with pride.
In the interview following her appointment, she mentioned, among other things, the importance of prevention:
“Chronic diseases are increasing in the Netherlands due to unhealthy lifestyles. Yet, little is being done in the way of prevention programs because health insurance doesn't always cover them. As a result, we end up paying for illness, not for health. That's a strange incentive. If we break through that, our society can become much better.”
With her signature holistic approach to health research, Andrea was committed to establishing a research program that connects the medical, technological and social domains. The 'Healthy Society Program' became a broadly supported scientific and social program in which researchers, government officials, healthcare professionals, residents of the province of Zuid-Holland, and social partners collaborated to create a healthier Zuid-Holland. 'Transdisciplinary' in design, well before it became a buzzword.
Against the grain
In doing so, Andrea, as she often did, set an example for many scientists and directors. Sometimes going against the grain, she steadily built the Healthy Society Program. Her diplomatic skills, charm and terrier-like qualities ensured a clear implementation of the social domain within the previously primarily medical-technological collaboration within Medical Delta. This approach was adapted into Medical Delta's 2024-2028 programming, with Healthy Society as a prime example.
Her projects and programs continue, but without her vibrant personality, knowledge, and drive. With Andrea, we lose a leading ambassador for our collaboration, and a role model and inspiration for many.
We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.
The team and board of Medical Delta
