Many of the things I do look different on the surface.
I conduct research, teach students, host a podcast, organise events, write, speak, facilitate conversations and fill notebooks with ideas.
Yet, to me, they all feel connected.
They are different ways of exploring the questions that matter most to me: how people grow, how communities thrive, how meaningful change emerges, and how we can become more deeply connected with ourselves, with one another, and with the world around us.
What follows are some of the ways I currently pursue that exploration.
I explore complex questions through the art of research and education
I am an Associate Professor in Biomedical Data Sciences at Hasselt University and lead the Biomedical Data Sciences research group.
My research explores how data, technology, collaboration and collective intelligence can help address complex challenges in healthcare. Over the years, my work has evolved from developing technical solutions towards understanding the human, organisational and societal conditions that allow meaningful change to emerge.
I am particularly interested in questions around innovation, data sharing, learning health systems, community building, network leadership and the role of relationships in driving change.
While research remains at the heart of my work, I increasingly find myself operating at the intersection of science, practice, dialogue and experimentation.
I speak & moderate
I love creating conversations that matter.
Sometimes that happens from a stage. Sometimes around a panel table. Sometimes through a keynote, a workshop or a facilitated dialogue.
My talks often sit at the intersection of science, systems, leadership, innovation, human connection and change. I am particularly interested in the questions that emerge when people, organisations and communities try to navigate complexity together.
Rather than offering simple answers, I aim to create space for new perspectives, meaningful reflection and honest dialogue.
Whether I'm speaking at an academic conference, facilitating a strategic retreat or moderating a panel discussion, my goal is always the same: helping people think differently, connect more deeply and discover new possibilities.
Topics I regularly speak about include:
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Agents of Change: who they are and why we need them
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Digital transformation in healthcare: vision, challenges and opportunities
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Collective intelligence, collaboration and systems change
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Working with emotions in complex multi-stakeholder environments
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Leadership, agency and hope in times of uncertainty
I write & reflect
Writing helps me make sense of the world.
Some posts start with a question that won't leave me alone. Others emerge from conversations, books, podcasts, walks in nature, research projects, retreats, or experiences that continue to resonate long after they happened.
In my blog, I explore themes such as change, purpose, creativity, connection, leadership, science, community, and what it means to be human in a complex and rapidly changing world. Some reflections are personal. Others are inspired by my work as a researcher, educator and changemaker.
I don't write because I have the answers. I write because I am curious. Because writing helps me think. And because every now and then, something I discover along the way might be useful to someone else too.
I host a podcast
Some ideas stay with us because they challenge the way we think. Some conversations stay with us because they challenge the way we see ourselves and the world around us.
Through The World of Liesbet, I invite researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, coaches, leaders, dreamers and changemakers for conversations about purpose, agency, creativity, leadership, connection and what it means to contribute to a better world.
But these conversations are about more than expertise. I am equally interested in the human being behind the work: the experiences that shaped them, the questions they continue to wrestle with, the values that guide them, and the lessons they have gathered along the way.
Some episodes are practical. Others are philosophical. Some are deeply personal. Together, they form a collection of stories, reflections and perspectives for anyone curious about change, meaning and the future we are creating together.
I bring people together
Some of the most meaningful ideas, collaborations and projects in my life started with a conversation.
I enjoy creating spaces where people can meet, learn from one another, explore new perspectives and discover unexpected connections.
Sometimes this happens through scientific conferences and community events. Sometimes through a (Live) podcast conversation, a Deep Time Walk, a Wandering, a workshop or a retreat.
The format may vary, but the intention is usually the same: creating opportunities for meaningful encounters, collective learning and new possibilities to emerge.
Interested in joining an upcoming event?
I keep a notebook
Many of my ideas begin in a notebook. I call it my 'Book of Ideas'
Not as polished plans or finished projects, but as sketches, drawings, mind maps, collages, questions, visual reflections and half-formed thoughts. Some of these eventually evolve into research projects, podcast episodes, workshops, walks or community initiatives. Others remain exactly what they were meant to be: fragments from a journey.
This notebook offers a glimpse into the creative process behind much of my work and the nonlinear path from curiosity to action.
