PhD candidate at NIVEL – Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Merel Engelaar is a researcher and PhD candidate at Nivel (The Netherlands), specializing in participatory health research and citizen science. She has extensive experience in co-creation with patients, family caregivers, and other stakeholders in international research settings, particularly within European health projects. Her expertise includes mixed-methods research, stakeholder engagement, and translating scientific findings into practice and policy. Through her work in the EUonQoL project, she investigates how involving people with lived experience of cancer as co-researchers can strengthen research quality and societal impact.

Updated: September 2026