Femke Hoekstra

Assistant Professor

Research Classification

Knowledge translation and implementation science in health
Patient and citizen engagement research
Health promotion and disease prevention
Other social sciences

Research Interests

Implementation Science
Rural Health
Virtual health innovation
Research partnerships
Health Promotion
rehabilitation

Affiliations to Research Centres, Institutes & Clusters

Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
Drone Transport Initiative Cluster
International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries

Research Options

I am available and interested in collaborations (e.g. clusters, grants).
I am interested in and conduct interdisciplinary research.
I am interested in working with undergraduate students on research projects.
 
 

Open All

Biography

Dr. Femke Hoekstra, PhD is an Assistant Professor at UBC’s Department of Medicine, Division of Social Medicine in the area of Implementation Science. She is also Investigator within the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CCDPM) at the UBC Okanagan and Associate Member of International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD). Dr. Hoekstra holds a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, in the areas of implementation science, rehabilitation, and physical activity promotion.

Dr. Hoekstra’s implementation science research program focuses on improving (virtual) health services and care for equity-deserving groups in rural, remote and isolated communities. Her research involves studying implementation processes of health innovations in real-world settings from different perspectives. To maximize the quality and impact of her work, she meaningfully engages research users as partners throughout the research process.

Research Methodology

Mixed-methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups)
Literature reviews (e.g., scoping reviews, environmental scan)
Social network analyses
State Space Grids
Integrated knowledge translation approach

Recruitment

Master's students
Doctoral students
Postdoctoral Fellows
Any time / year round
2025
2026
2027

My implementation science research program focuses on improving (virtual) health services and care for equity-deserving groups in rural, remote, and other isolated communities. My research involves studying the implementation processes of health innovations in real-world settings from different perspectives. To maximize the quality and impact of my work, I meaningfully engage research users as partners throughout the research process. My research involves various types of health innovation. Example research project areas include, but are not limited to: 

I support public scholarship, e.g. through the Public Scholars Initiative, and am available to supervise students and Postdocs interested in collaborating with external partners as part of their research.
I support experiential learning experiences, such as internships and work placements, for my graduate students and Postdocs.
I am open to hosting Visiting International Research Students (non-degree, up to 12 months).
I am interested in supervising students to conduct interdisciplinary research.

Complete these steps before you reach out to a faculty member!

Check requirements
  • Familiarize yourself with program requirements. You want to learn as much as possible from the information available to you before you reach out to a faculty member. Be sure to visit the graduate degree program listing and program-specific websites.
  • Check whether the program requires you to seek commitment from a supervisor prior to submitting an application. For some programs this is an essential step while others match successful applicants with faculty members within the first year of study. This is either indicated in the program profile under "Admission Information & Requirements" - "Prepare Application" - "Supervision" or on the program website.
Focus your search
  • Identify specific faculty members who are conducting research in your specific area of interest.
  • Establish that your research interests align with the faculty member’s research interests.
    • Read up on the faculty members in the program and the research being conducted in the department.
    • Familiarize yourself with their work, read their recent publications and past theses/dissertations that they supervised. Be certain that their research is indeed what you are hoping to study.
Make a good impression
  • Compose an error-free and grammatically correct email addressed to your specifically targeted faculty member, and remember to use their correct titles.
    • Do not send non-specific, mass emails to everyone in the department hoping for a match.
    • Address the faculty members by name. Your contact should be genuine rather than generic.
  • Include a brief outline of your academic background, why you are interested in working with the faculty member, and what experience you could bring to the department. The supervision enquiry form guides you with targeted questions. Ensure to craft compelling answers to these questions.
  • Highlight your achievements and why you are a top student. Faculty members receive dozens of requests from prospective students and you may have less than 30 seconds to pique someone’s interest.
  • Demonstrate that you are familiar with their research:
    • Convey the specific ways you are a good fit for the program.
    • Convey the specific ways the program/lab/faculty member is a good fit for the research you are interested in/already conducting.
  • Be enthusiastic, but don’t overdo it.
Attend an information session

G+PS regularly provides virtual sessions that focus on admission requirements and procedures and tips how to improve your application.

 

ADVICE AND INSIGHTS FROM UBC FACULTY ON REACHING OUT TO SUPERVISORS

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a potential thesis supervisor.

View More Advice Videos

Supervision Enquiry

If you have reviewed some of this faculty member's publications, understand their research interests and have reviewed the admission requirements, you may submit a contact request to this supervisor.

Publications

 
Femke Hoekstra's Profile
ORCID Profile
Other link
Supervision Enquiry

Membership Status

Eligible for G+PS membership
View explanation of statuses

Academic Unit(s)

Division of Social Medicine
 

If this is your researcher profile you can log in to the Faculty & Staff portal to update your details and provide recruitment preferences.

 
 

Discover the amazing research that is being conducted at UBC!

Learn about UBC's Research