Thesis / PhD Prize 2025

Announcing the winners of 2025!

On 20 November 2025, the Knowledge Centre Global Health (KCGH) presented the annual Thesis/PhD Prize during the KCGH Symposium. With this award, we highlight outstanding early-career research in global health and reinforce our mission to foster innovation.

Below we proudly present the three winners:

Best Master’s Thesis

Wallace Watson, MSc
Understanding the Characteristics of Tuberculosis Cases Missed by Chest X-Ray
Wallace’s research demonstrates why chest X-ray screening misses nearly one in ten tuberculosis cases, especially among younger individuals and women. By identifying predictors across 12 national surveys, Wallace underscores the need for more sensitive tools such as computer-aided detection.

Best PhD Thesis

Merel van der Stelt, PhD
3D Technology in Prosthetic Care: Enhancing Accessibility in Sierra Leone
Merel’s dissertation shows how 3D printing and AI-assisted design can expand access to prosthetic care in Sierra Leone. Her work demonstrates the promise of digital production for local providers as well as ongoing challenges around durability and material strength.

Best Master’s Thesis in Global Child Health

Thijs Wijnheijmer, MSc
The Impact of Transfer Learning in Paediatric Critical Illness Event Prediction
Thijs’s study shows how transfer learning can improve early prediction of critical illness in hospitalised children in low-resource settings. By leveraging high-resource vital-sign data, Thijs contributes to more equitable paediatric clinical decision support.

Congratulations!

We celebrate all three winners for advancing equity, innovation and scientific excellence in global health.

Special thanks to our jury, chaired by Jaco J. Verweij, for their dedicated review of all submissions.

The Thesis / PhD Prize Returns in 2026!

KCGH will once again host the Thesis/PhD Prize in 2026, following the same structure and evaluation criteria.
Have you written a thesis or dissertation on global health and graduated in the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba or Sint Eustatius?

Submission for 2026: 1 July – 1 October 2026
Submit your work via ofni.[antispam].@kcgh.nl

Which prizes do we award?

To celebrate and promote the exceptional work of young scholars, KCGH awards the following prizes:

€500 for two recent graduates (bachelor’s or master’s students) who have written an innovative and impactful thesis on a global health topic.
€500 for a recent HBO graduate who has written an impactful thesis on a global health topic.
€1000 for a recent PhD graduate who has made a significant contribution to new insights in global health, to be used for further professional development. This could include continuing the work from their dissertation, attending training sessions, consulting experts, or supporting activities to obtain project funding.
€500 for the best bachelor’s or master’s thesis focused on a topic within Global Child Health, in collaboration with the Expertisegroep Global Child Health.

Edition 2024

In 2024, we received an incredible 36 submissions of exceptionally high quality, showcasing the diverse and impactful research being conducted in global health. After a thorough review by our expert jury, we are proud to present the winners of the 2024 KCGH Thesis/PhD Prize:

Bachelor Thesis Winner: Lara Schmale-Hüsemann

Title: Health Equity Analysis of the Africa CDC Strategy on Non-Communicable Diseases
Lara's research takes a critical look at how health equity is embedded within the Africa CDC's straregy on non-communicable diseases. Her analysis reveals that, while equity is a core objective, it is not consistently reflected in the strategy's approach. Drawing on principles of critical reflexivity, humility and agency, she highlights the role of power dynamics in shaping healthcare access and policy outcomes, offering essential insights for global health governance.

Master Thesis Winner: Robert Dasović

Title: Unheard Voices: Navigating through life histories of fragmented care for homeless people in Rotterdam
Robert's research sheds light on the lived experiences of homeless individuals in Rotterdam. By using Life History Interviewing and Life Mapping, he explores how trauma, exclusion and systemic neglect contribute to homelessness. His work emphasizes the need for trauma-informed, person-centred care and challenges healthcare systems to recognize and act on the voices and experiences of marginalized groups.

PhD Dissertation Winner: Tom Jacobs (Category: Global Child Health)

Title: Accelerating access to optimal anti-infective treatment for children living with HIV
Awarded in collaboration with the Expertisegroep Global Child Health
Tom's dissertation addresses the challenge of ensuring accessible, child-friendly HIV treatments for children living in low-resource settings. In collaboration with teams from Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, he explores ways to overcome the barriers to optimal anti-infective treatment. By emphasizing the role of clinical pharmacology as a key driver for improved access, his work provides practical solutions to one of the most pressing issues in global child health.

PhD Dissertation Winner: Lennart Maljaars

Title: Surgical Care and Innovation for Vesicovaginal Fistula
Lennart's research addresses the treatment of vesicovaginal fistulas, a stigmatised health issue affecting women in vulnerable settings. His dissertation focuses on improving conventional surgical methods and introducing innovative approaches to enhance treatment options. By highlighting the importance of technical advancements and social awareness, his work aims to improve care and reduce the stigma faced by affected women.

Special thanks

A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated jury members for their time, expertise, and thoughtful deliberation in selecting this year's winners:

Jaco J. Verweij
Koos van der Velden
Lekha Rathod
Perijne Vellekoop

These winners represent the future of global health research, each contributing to crucial topics that impact health equity, vulnerable populations, and the accessibility of life-saving treatments. We thank all 36 participants for their submissions and look forward to seeing how their work continues to drive progress in global health.