On June 26, the fifth edition of APH Junified took place: a yearly event organized for early and midcareer researchers within the Amsterdam Public Health (APH) research institute. This year’s edition, themed ‘Boost your implementation competencies’, was co-organized with the Amsterdam Center for Implementation Science (AmsCIS). Cécile Boot, the new director of APH, hosted this event.

The afternoon program, held at Hotel CASA in Amsterdam from 13:00 to 18:00, offered an inspiring mix of knowledge sharing, interaction, and networking opportunities. With engaging presentations, interactive sessions, and valuable connections, APH Junified 2025 proved again to be a successful and energizing day!

Keynotes

The first keynote speaker, Dr. Sven Geelen from the Nederlands Implementatie Collectief (NIC), shared insights into the role of Implementation Support Practitioners (ISPs). He discussed the importance of switching between science and practice roles, explaining how ISPs bridge the gap between research and real-world implementation.

Sven Geelen highlighted essential competencies like co-creation, engagement, and trust-building, emphasizing that a successful ISP must navigate both practice targets and science targets.

The second keynote speaker, Dr. Trees Juurlink, an APH researcher and implementation scientist, reflected on her personal journey and her experience completing the Implementation Science Practitioner (ISP) fellowship. She shared lessons learned, such as the need to closely collaborate with practice to adapt interventions to specific contexts.

Trees Juurlink also emphasized the importance of developing soft skills, like empathy, and how these contribute to effective implementation.

Workshops

Following the keynotes, the day included three workshops.

Workshop A, Tailored Implementation with the ItFits Toolkit, was led by Dr. Rixt Smit and Nikita Hensen. This session introduced the ItFits Toolkit for adapting health interventions to local contexts. Participants worked in groups to identify barriers and tailor strategies, using tools like to improve implementation outcomes.

Workshop B, AI in Academia, was led by Dr. Suzanne van Wouw and Dr. Jayron Habibe. They shared advanced AI tools for researchers, beyond ChatGPT, and discussed the ethical use of AI in research. Participants had hands-on time to explore these tools and learn how to streamline their research.

Workshop C, Thriving Together: Enhancing Well-Being in Academia, was led by Dr. Stefan Mol. This session focused on enhancing well-being in academia, where participants discussed hypothetical scenarios and developed strategies for improving academic well-being in a collaborative, problem-solving format.

Closing

We ended with a fun memory game focused on implementation terminology. The event concluded with drinks and networking, providing attendees the opportunity to reflect on how to apply what they learned about becoming ISPs, the ItFits toolkit, AI in research, and enhancing well-being in academia.

See you next year!