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 University 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 University 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 himself. He completed the minor: “Reconstruction from Head to Hands,” during which he developed an interest for 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 completing his master's in Health Sciences at the Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences (NIHES).