Gilbert-Jan van Gaalen,
PhD-student
 

My name is Gilbert-Jan van Gaalen. Currently, I am a PhD student at the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Erasmus Medical Center. My research revolves around the non-surgical treatment of thumb base osteoarthritis. The aim of this research is to gain more insight into the influence of psychological factors on pain and function during the conservative treatment of this condition.

 

Gilbert-Jan studied medicine at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. During his bachelor's program, he was a Querido Honours Student, where he engaged in courses centered around research, sparking  excitement to delve into research. He followed the minor: “Reconstruction from Head to Hands,” during which he became interested in Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery. Gilbert-Jan started as a junior researcher at the Hand and Wrist Study Group, investigating the consequences of animal bites to the hand. He is currently working on his PhD while following the Health Sciences master at the Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences (NIHES).