Aura Timen has been named Professor by special appointment to the chair of 'Responses to communicable diseases in global health' as of June 1st 2018. It is a part-time 0.2 FTE appointment at the Athena Institute, the research and education department at the Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam).
Over the past decades, existing and emerging infectious diseases have demonstrated their impact on global health by evolving into global health emergencies. The traditional systems for combatting outbreaks and crises are being increasingly challenged and require a different international approach. This has to do with the increased mobility of people and goods, but also with changing perceptions and communication possibilities.
Aura Timen's research concentrates on the dynamics of infectious disease crises and on the effect of the measures taken for individuals, risk groups and populations.
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Aura Timen studied Medicine and graduated as a physician from the VU University of Amsterdam in 1995. She is registered as a Medical Specialist in Community Medicine and Infectious Disease Control with the Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG). In 2010, she obtained her PhD with her dissertation ‘Outbreak Management: towards a model for the next crisis’ from the Radboud University, Nijmegen. She has extensive research experience in the field of combatting communicable diseases, both in the Netherlands and internationally.
Aura Timen has headed the National Coordination Centre for Communicable Disease Control (LCI) since January 2011, and she actively participates in various national and international networks. She is currently chair of the Infectious Disease Control Section of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) and a member of the Advisory Forum of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Aura also coordinates the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Preparedness and IHR monitoring and evaluation which is hosted by RIVM.