DOBBELS Fabienne

Fabienne Dobbels is a full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of KU Leuven and a senior researcher at the Academic Centre for Nursing and Midwifery. She serves as Program Director of the Master of Science in Nursing and Midwifery, is a member of the board of the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, and chairs the thematic doctoral research program Patient-related and Public Health Research within the Doctoral School of Biomedical Sciences.

Prof. Dobbels obtained a Master of Science in Psychology from KU Leuven in 1996 and completed postgraduate training in psychotherapy in 1999. She worked as a clinical psychologist in the heart transplantation program at University Hospitals Leuven before obtaining her PhD in 2005. Following her doctoral studies, she received a six-year postdoctoral fellowship from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO).

Her research focuses on patient adherence, self-management, psychosocial functioning, patient-reported outcomes, and the development of person-centered care interventions for people living with chronic conditions. While much of her work has centered on organ transplantation, her research also addresses broader challenges in chronic illness management and integrated care. She has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and has contributed extensively to international collaborations, scientific journals, and conferences. Her work aims to bridge scientific evidence and clinical practice, ultimately improving health outcomes and quality of care for patients with chronic and complex health conditions.

In addition to her research activities, Prof. Dobbels is deeply committed to education and mentorship. She teaches courses in critical reasoning, behavioral change interventions, and research methods, supervises master’s and doctoral students, and serves as a clinical placement mentor for master’s students, supporting their professional development and facilitating the integration of academic learning into clinical practice.