Thesis Alexandra Ciauşescu
On 4 June 2026 Sanquin researcher Alexandra Ciauşescu defended her PhD thesis 'Learning to donate: Exploring existing and creating new spaces for learning about donating blood products' at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Promotores
Prof EM Merz PhD
Prof RHFP Bekkers PhD
Copromotor
A de Wit PhD
Venue
Aula Vrije Universiteit (main building)
Modern healthcare could not function without blood and plasma donations. Yet there are too few donors in the Netherlands and across Europe. Research by sociologist Alexandra Ciaușescu shows that awareness of donation does not arise overnight. Rather, it develops step by step, through family, school, social media, information campaigns and even a video game.
Without blood and plasma, many medical treatments would not be possible. Blood is needed, for example, during surgery, emergencies and childbirth. Plasma forms the basis for medicines used to treat immune disorders and rare diseases, among other conditions. Donors are therefore essential to making this care possible.
Read the full VU news article here.
Chapters
Chapter 1
General introduction
Chapter 2
Blood, it Runs in the Family: Intergenerational Transmission of Blood-Donor Behaviour
Chapter 3
Increasing Knowledge about Plasma and Plasma Donation through a Serious Game: Evidence from a Mixed-Method Study abstract
Chapter 4
#BloodDonation: How European Blood Banks Use Social Media to Reach Donors and Non-Donors abstract
Chapter 5
Building Awareness: Introducing Education About Blood Products Donation in the School Curriculum abstract
Chapter 6
The Effect of Information about Plasma Donation on Young Adults' Beliefs and Behaviour
Chapter 7
General Discussion
Download
Download PhD thesis from university repository (when available)