Julie Vanderlinden

Julie Vanderlinden, PhD, is coordinator of the research group Active Neighborhoods and Lifestyle Interventions at the Odisee University of Applied Sciences, where she leads interdisciplinary research on lifestyle, wellbeing and community health. She is also a postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Pain in Motion). Across her work, Julie specialises in the science of sleep, stress and healthy behaviour, integrating sleep as a central thread throughout her research lines.

Her research centres on three interconnected domains:

Sleep plays a pivotal role across these domains, from understanding movement–sleep interactions, to designing behavioural interventions, to improving wellbeing in healthcare students, informal carers and older adults.

Julie obtained her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at KU Leuven, where she examined how movement behaviours, sedentary time and lifestyle factors relate to sleep outcomes in older adults. At Odisee and VUB, she combines applied and translational research with the co-creation of tools, interventions and educational materials for practice settings. She leads and coordinates several national and international research initiatives, including the EU Erasmus+ Young-D consortium addressing anxiety, stress and sleep in young onset dementia, as well as projects on sleep and stress in healthcare workers, sleep and wellbeing among students, community-based healthy ageing, and the needs of young informal carers. She is an active member of (inter)national expert groups and scientific councils such as COHEHRE, ENSA, BAPH and EUPHA.

In addition, Julie serves as editor‑in‑chief of the Pain in Motion blog and takes on key organisational roles in international conferences and symposia. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, authored practice-oriented publications, and developed evidence-based programmes and e-learning modules to support professionals in health and welfare. Known for her multidisciplinary perspective and strong commitment to connecting research with real-world practice, Julie aims to advance understanding of sleep and its role in wellbeing across diverse populations, from students and community-dwelling older adults to families affected by young-onset dementia.