Anna Laura van der Laan

Department of Philosophy

University of Twente

Postbox 217

7500 AE Enschede

telephone: +31-53-4892662

a.l.vanderlaan@utwente.nl

building: Cubicus (room B226)

Background

My background is in Medicine (drs.) and a year study of Philosophy. This combination of medicine and philosophy brought me to the field of Medical Ethics. I wrote my master thesis on fundamental philosophical and ethical implications of screening on Alzheimer’s disease. From 2005 – 2009 I worked as coordinator of the Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics, at the Radboud University Nijmegen, Medical Centre. During that period I also participated as a research assistent in a NWO-project on ethical aspects of genetic research in Alzheimer’s disease.

Research

At December 1^st 2009, I started to work as a PhD-student at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Twente. My project is part of the larger NWO-project Responsible early diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease (project leader: dr. Marianne Boenink). This project aims to contribute to the design of a responsible practice for Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics, focussing on the question how to respond to the uncertainties in innovation of AD diagnostics. My research part concerns the responsible translation practices in the development of novel Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics. When data generated by new diagnostic tools are translated to scientific knowledge and clinically relevant results, there are a lot of uncertainties to be dealt with. How is this done? Which criteria and procedures are used in the scientific practices concerned? Does the way researchers deal with these uncertainties lead to clinically relevant and morally and socially acceptable applications? In addressing these kind of questions I will take into account the perceptions and opinions of all potential stakeholders in the Netherlands as well as in the UK.

Promotors and supervisors

Prof.dr. Philip Brey, prof.dr. Tsjalling Swierstra and dr. Marianne Boenink

Networks

	Member of the 3TU Centre for Ethics and Technology (www.ethicsandtechnology.eu)
	Member of the Netherlands Graduate School of Science, Technology and Modern Culture (WTMC)

Publications

Laan, A.L. van der: 2007, Boekbespreking: K. Horstman en R. Houtepen, ‘Worstelen met gezond leven. Ethiek in de preventie van hart- en vaatziekten.’ Tijdschrift voor Gezondheidszorg en Ethiek 17(1): 30.

Laan, A.L. van der: 2010, Boekbespreking: M.H. Derksen, ‘Engineering Flesh, Towards Professional Responsibility for Lived Bodies.’ NVBe-nieuwsbrief 17(1), 20-21.

Vorm, A van der, A.L. van der Laan et al: 2010, Experts’ opinions on ethical issues of genetic research into Alzheimer’s disease: results of a Delphi study in the Netherlands. Clinical Genetics 77(4): 382-8.