Meet our new research assistant Séraphine Bruinsma!
2 October 2024
Could you tell us a little more about yourself?
My name is Séraphine Bruinsma, I’m 22, and I’m currently a second-year master’s student in Global Health Research at VU Amsterdam. I’m originally from France, where I completed a bachelor’s in Life Sciences at the Université Grenoble Alpes. But my perspective on health really broadened during an exchange year at Erasmus University Rotterdam. There, I was studying embryology and infectious disease alongside optional courses in Public International Law and Human Rights Law. Exploring health issues through my law coursework—mixing ethics, legal principles, and science —revealed how deeply interconnected these fields are, and sparked my interest in global health. This ultimately led me to the Global Health Research master, where I get to dive into the complex social, legal, and scientific interactions shaping health outcomes—set against the beautiful backdrop of Amsterdam, which certainly adds to the appeal!
What will your research at the Law Centre for Health and Life focus on?
At the Law Centre for Health and Life, I focus on studying global access to medicine, a topic I first explored during a research internship at the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development. I am also passionate about sexual and reproductive health and bioethics, and I hope to contribute to these fields in the future.
What inspired you to choose this particular field of study?
Curiosity, mostly! I’ve always loved learning and, if I’m being honest, I would happily stay in school forever if I could. I started out fascinated by the life sciences and the biological side of health, but as soon as I discovered the broader social determinants of health, I was hooked. Realising that health isn’t just about biology but also about policies, rights, and social structures felt like discovering the other half of the story, and I’m eager to keep learning and exploring all the disciplines I can.