Dr. M.J.J. (Rianne) van der Kleij

I work as an associate professor in the Department of Public Health & Primary Care (PHEG). After completing my master's in Health Psychology, I conducted PhD research on the implementation of a community approach to childhood obesity. Following this, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher and assistant professor on various projects focused on implementation science, primary care, and prevention. Additionally, I am the coordinator of the LUMC's half-minor ‘Lifestyle Medicine & Primary Care’ and as curriculum lead for ALK/Mental Health in the Leiden General Practitioner training program.

My research focuses on the implementation of (preventive) interventions in youth and family care, with a particular emphasis on mental health. I study how both professionals and patients engage with these interventions, especially within complex, system-wide approaches that are applied across various contexts and cultures. I often use participatory research methods to gain deeper insights, including Ripple Effect Mapping, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), Realist Evaluation, PhotoVoice, Digital Storytelling, and the Think-Aloud Method. These methods help capture the experiences and behaviors of those that matter most- equally engaging them in intervention development, evaluation and implementation.