Aniek Woodward is an experienced researcher in the field of global health, with expertise in health systems, qualitative research, refugee mental health, nature-based therapies, and scaling up health innovations. As a Postdoctoral researcher at the Athena Institute, VU Amsterdam, she is leading a transdisciplinary study that explores the needs and expectations of key stakeholders within and beyond healthcare systems in Portugal, Germany, Greece, Peru and the Netherlands to engage with nature-based therapies in green spaces.
Aniek is also a PhD candidate at the Athena Institute where her research focused on understanding the potential for scaling up various task-sharing psychological interventions for refugees. Her PhD research was conducted as part of a six-year consultancy for the KIT Royal Tropical Institute and was embedded in the STRENGTHS project. Additionally, since mid-2025 she works as a relationship manager for a non-profit organisation to support their climate programme.
Previously Aniek has been working as a consultant on various research projects, including for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, King’s College London, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and the World Health Organization.
For over 15 years, Aniek has been involved in teaching. Currently, she is a distance learning tutor for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and at the Athena Institute she involved in course coordination and internship supervision of master students.
