Romana Netea-Maier

At Tilburg University’s Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, this postdoc position is part of the WaTCh study (Wellbeing After Thyroid Cancer), a project focused on improving aftercare for people living with thyroid cancer. The research examines how psychosocial well-being, quality of life, and work reintegration develop over time and how these findings can be translated into practical recommendations for psychosocial support and participation in work. The project uses existing data from the national WaTCh study, conducted in thirteen Dutch hospitals within Tilburg University’s PROFIEL registry and the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patient-reported outcomes collected before treatment and at 6, 12, and 24 months after diagnosis are combined with medical data to study the course of fatigue, emotional well-being, cognitive and social functioning, and work participation after thyroid cancer. The data for this analysis phase have already been collected and cleaned, allowing the researcher to begin analyses immediately. The postdoc will work within a collaborative environment that brings together Tilburg University, IKNL, Radboudumc, patient organisation SchildklierNL, healthcare professionals, the Taskforce Cancer Survivorship Care, and occupational oncology advisers. The researcher will help translate findings into actionable advice for clinical practice and patient-facing information, and will contribute to knowledge dissemination through existing national networks. Supervision is provided by Dr Floortje Mols and Prof. Dr Romana Netea-Maier. The project aims to produce peer-reviewed publications, an end report, and practice-oriented recommendations based on quantitative analyses of survivorship outcomes.