“The onset of the information age has created a knowledge based society. Knowledge is no longer the exclusive domain of scientists, but has become a commodity in a digital market with pseudoscience and “alternative facts” growing rampant on the internet. Scientists have the moral obligation to step out of their ivory tower and broaden their scope from peer reviewed journals to popular media to ensure broad dissemination of science based knowledge.”

 

“A knowledge based society needs science based knowledge”

Dr. Tineke Alberts is Head of the Department of Social Sciences of Curaçao Biomedical & Health Research Institute.

Tineke Alberts studied Medical Sociology at the University of Groningen. After her graduation in 1988, she started working as project researcher at the Department of Health Sciences of the University of Groningen. In 1989 she moved to Curaçao where she joined the Epidemiology & Research Unit of the Public Health Department (GGD). In the following years, she acted as project leader of a large number of research projects in the fields of sexuality, AIDS prevention, lifestyle and obesity, determinants of health services utilization, socioeconomic health inequalities, quality of life, disability care and elderly care.

She was the principal investigator of the first Curaçao Health Study, and project leader of the subsequent Health Studies in Bonaire, St. Martin, Saba and St Eustatius. In 1998 Tineke obtained her PhD degree at the University of Groningen with her thesis “The professionalized patient; social-cultural determinants of health services utilization”.

From 2002 to 2004 she was a member of the Commission entrusted with the preparation of a Universal Health Insurance (basispakket verzekering ziektekosten) for the Island Territory of Curaçao. From 2003 to 2005 she was one of the leaders in the Project Restructuring Health Care, commissioned by the Minister of Public Health.

In 2007, she took up a position as manager of the Verriet Foundation, the main care provider for people with disabilities in Curaçao. Since 2021, she is active in the field of mental health as director of care at GGz Curaçao. Through the years she remained active in the field of research through her work as research coordinator for the Care Federation, lecturer at the University of the Dutch Caribbean and the University of Curaçao, science journalist for newspaper Amigoe, referent of Masters students and PhD candidates, and board member of the research foundation ISOG.