M. (Monique) van Cauwenberghe, LLM MA

Aletta Health Grant - Sustainable valorisation of digital health applications for public mental health (2025-2026)

Technological innovations for health, such as mental health applications also raise many ethical and legal questions. A balance needs to be drawn between ensuring the prioritization of public safety while also ensuring innovative technologies for access to healthcare. Together with Dr Taichi Ochi, we seek to identify strengths and opportunities for improving the implementation of public mental health measures, to be co-created with public and private stakeholders. The Aletta Health Grant by the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health aims to stimulate small and short term activities within the UMCG, UG, Hanze and NHL Stenden that are linked to the Public Health theme. 

YAG-SER Grant - Legal Epidemiology: Measuring Effects of Policy Interventions for Smoke- and Aerosol-Free Zones (2025-2026)

Dominique Mollet (LAW), Dr. Jurjen van de Schans (UMCG), Monique van Cauwenbergue (LAW).  Across Europe, national and local governments, along with key stakeholders such as schools, universities and hospitals, are implementing regulations to promote “smoke and aerosol-free environments’ (SAFEs). More recently, governments and stakeholders are faced with challenges concerning the regulation of novel and emerging tobacco and nicotine products, such as vapes or nicotine pouches. The project specifically aims to explore possible collaborations amongst UMCG and LAW, as well as other international and local partners, based on the emerging method of ‘legal epidemiology’: “the scientific study of law as a factor in the cause, distribution, and prevention of disease and injury in a population” and the methods involved with studying the impact of law or policy interventions for public health.