John de Wit (MSc, PhD) is professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science: Public Health (since 1 May 2016), and chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science (since 1 September 2018), at Utrecht University. Before that, he was Professor and Director of the Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney (1 July 2008 – 30 April 2016), and Professor of Social Psychology of Health and Sexuality by special appointment of the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), at Utrecht University (1 June 2007 – 31 May 2012). John is a social psychologist by training who has worked across social psychology, health psychology, public health, and health promotion for over 30 years. In 2018 he was elected as IAAP Fellow, and since 1 July 2020, he is Secretary of IAAP Division 8 (Health Psychology). John is proud to be a member of the UU Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee. 

John has a broad interest in behaviors and interventions related to health and wellbeing. While much of his research is related to the global HIV response in key populations, his research also encompasses STIs, sexual coercion, innovations in prevention and treatment, health service delivery and access, and minority community wellbeing. John also applies his behavior science expertise to other important social issues, including sustainability behaviors and transitions. John’s has an interdisciplinary conceptual stance that is concerned with the interplay of individual, social and structural factors in health-related behaviors, outcomes, and inequalities.

An established research leader in social aspects of health, John has a strong track record in attracting research funding from competitive scholarly and strategic schemes (>€26 million), and has published widely (>250 publications, h-index 55). He has extensive governance experience, serving on numerous committees and boards, and is an experienced educator, teaching courses in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs, and contributing to learning programs for professionals. He also has much experience in supervising PhD students on a wide range of topics, drawing on diverse conceptual and methodological approaches (20 current students, 20 timely completed students).