For Postdoc Appreciation Week 2026 (PAW_NL), we highlight Annemarie Reilingh, postdoctoral researcher at Amsterdam Public Health (APH), working at the Department of Public and Occupational Health. Her route into research was anything but typical: after 23 years working as a therapist focused on women’s health, she moved into epidemiology and now combines research on contraception, pregnancy and menopause with teaching and mentoring.
From practice to research
Annemarie started her career as a physiotherapist after graduating from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Over 23 years, she worked in very different practices and with several therapeutic modalities and eventually specialized in pregnancy, pelvic health and women experiencing pelvic pain.
Her work in practice sparked an interest in understanding the evidence behind healthcare that is offered to women. “I wanted to be able to process knowledge, understand research and really get into the evidence.” She started studying epidemiology and joined the Department of Public and Occupational Health through her master’s thesis.
Researching menopause at work
Today, Annemarie works on two projects, including the MenoPause Consortium, where she focuses on menopause in the workplace. “More women are staying in the workforce, and the working population is ageing. Many women will go through menopause, so it is becoming increasingly important to understand what they experience at work and how organizations can support them.”
One study within the consortium uses an unusual approach: women working in a large organization interviewed each other about their experiences of menopause. After training, the participants conducted more than 60 peer-to-peer interviews. “It creates really rich data. Instead of researchers interviewing the women, the women themselves were asking the questions.”
A new role as a postdoc
Annemarie started her postdoc in April 2025. She describes it as a natural continuation of her PhD, but with more independence and responsibility. “You have to be more proactive about what you need and where you want to go.”
She is also learning to think beyond individual studies: writing grant proposals, supervising PhD candidates and junior researchers, and considering longer-term research questions. With several projects and papers running at the same time, managing her time can be challenging. “As a postdoc, you have more responsibility and you also start taking on more of a leading role.”
From research to teaching
Annemarie has already taken her next career step: she will be appointed as an assistant professor after her PhD defense and will increasingly take on teaching responsibilities, including teaching basic epidemiological principles at Amsterdam University College.
She is looking forward to the contact with students. After 23 years in practice, she no longer misses treating patients, but she does miss the direct interaction. “In research, you don’t always get immediate feedback on what you do. It can take a long time before research leads to change in society.”
Follow your own compass
Her advice to PhD candidates and postdocs is to follow their interests. “I would recommend researching topics that you genuinely care about and find interesting. That can be your guiding point on the horizon.” Her own career is proof that there is no single route into academia.
Fun facts
A paper everyone should read? Annemarie is particularly proud of a paper she co-authored on contraceptive behavior.
Favorite congress? Annemarie has not attended many academic congresses, but she is really looking forward to the annual consortium day of the MenoPause Consortium. She has, however, been to quite a few salsa congresses, including performing at some of them.