Anouk Mesch works as an assistant professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the department of Health Sciences. Her expertise and interests lay with the promotion of healthy behaviour among children and youth, in real-world settings (e.g. schools, neighbourhoods). She is involved in teaching in the bachlor and master programs Health Sciences at the VU.
After a BSc degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences from Erasmus University College and a MSc degree in Nutrition & Health from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), she worked as a PhD-candidate at WUR. In this role, she worked on an interdisciplinary research project (SWITCH), understanding how adolescents can be supported in adopting healthy & sustainable dietary behaviours in the secondary school context. As part of this project, participatory methods were used in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, such as adolescents, teachers, and experts. Educational materials about healthy and sustainable food for Dutch secondary schools were developed as part of this project.
Since 2023, she has been engaged in science communication as a 'Face of Science' (selected by KNAW and NemoKennislink). In this role, she tries to make science more accessible for youth, through blogs, videos, podcasts, and events at science museums.
