Isabel Arends took up her position as Director-General of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) on 1 April 2026. In that role, she will ensure that RIVM continues to develop as a learning organisation committed to addressing societal challenges in the areas of public health and the environment. Together with RIVM’s Executive Board, she will make strategic decisions on matters such as innovation, digitalisation and collaboration with national and international knowledge partners.
“I believe in openness, in showing how knowledge is produced and in consistently strengthening the connection between science, policy, and practice, particularly in challenging times. Creating calm, clarity, and a sense of cohesion is central to this.”
Prof. Arends has held various positions at Utrecht University since 2018, including Dean of the Faculty of Science and Professor of Sustainable Organic Chemistry. Before that, she served as Head of the Department of Biotechnology at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). She also founded the TU Delft Bioengineering Institute, where she served as Director from 2016 to 2018. Prof. Arends studied Physical Organic Chemistry at Leiden University, where she also obtained her PhD in 1993.
In addition to her role as Director-General of RIVM, Prof. Arends will continue her professorship at Utrecht University. She also chairs the Scientific Committee of the Westerdijk Institute.