Xuxi Zhang

WORDS OF GRATITUDE I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for everyone in my direct and indirect surroundings to support me make this thesis appear and to enable me to enjoy a wonderful PhD journey in Erasmus MC. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my promotor Professor Dr. Hein Raat, for offering me the opportunity to conduct my PhD research in the Department of Public Health at Erasmus MC. Thank you so much for your kind support and patient supervision during the three years PhD journey. You always encouraged me when I was not confident enough. You taught me how to conduct rigorous research as a qualified scientist. Your trust and supportive smile made me feel safe and full of energy to face any kind of difficulties in research. You were always patient to help me when I had questions or difficulties, not only in research but also in life. I’m so lucky to have you as my promotor. Without you, my PhD journey would have never been such warm and enjoyable. I would like to say a big thank you to my co ‐ promoter Dr. Siok Swan Tan, whose guidance, support, and encouragement has been invaluable throughout my PhD journey. You were always calm enough to support me just in the way I need. I’m very grateful that you taught me a lot regarding scientific researches. From the first paper to the last one, thanks to your efforts and patience, I could see my progressions in scientific thinking and writing gradually. I believe these progressions make my PhD journey easier than I thought. I’m so lucky to have you as my co ‐ promoter. I would never forget you accompany me to the hospital in the early morning when I was ill. I would never forget the cheerful light in your eyes when I made progressions. I would never forget everything you did for myself and for my PhD study. I also would like to say special thank you to Dr. Carmen Betsy Franse, without your help my PhD journey would have not been the same. You generously shared your valuable experiences in research with me, which inspired me and made the start of my research easier. You were always willing to help whenever I had questions. Thanks to your patient support, wise suggestions, and brilliant ideas, we made many achievements together. I admire and love your intelligence and sense of humor. I really enjoyed working with you. I am also grateful to Dr. Amy van Grieken for supervising my research temporally when Siok Swan was on maternity leave. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and recommendations with my research papers. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of my inner committee, Professor Dr. Bart Koes, Professor Dr. Anna Nieboer, and Professor Dr. Tischa van der Cammen, for taking the time to read and assess my thesis. I also would like to thank Dr. Jane Murray Cramm, Professor Dr. Jessica Kiefte, Professor Dr. Francesco Mattace Raso, Dr. Leona Hakkaart, and Dr. Marij Roebroeck for agreeing to be the members of the plenary committee of my PhD defense. A 257 Words of gratitude