Dr. Niels Hendriks, Associate Professor

Dr. Niels Hendriks is an Associate Professor and the coordinator of the Caring. and Design research cluster at LUCA School of Arts (Associated Faculty of the Arts, KU Leuven, Belgium). His work focuses on inclusive and participatory design methodologies for individuals with high support needs, particularly those living with dementia. Beyond traditional product design, Niels employs a systemic lens to explore the reciprocal influence between artifacts and users within the broader care ecosystem. He is the co-founder of the Dementia Lab Conference, an international platform bridging research, education and practice. Under his leadership, the Dementia Lab conference series (published by Springer) has become a global cornerstone for the design-and- dementia-care community. His methodology centers on relational expertise, prioritizing trust-building through immersion and 'backstage work' in care settings. Niels explores how embodied interaction and design artifacts act as performative mediators, reconfiguring material environments to enable more dignified realities for those often excluded from traditional design.

Niels supervises a diverse cohort of PhD researchers across LUCA School of Arts, KU Leuven (both in the Faculty of Arts as well as in the Faculty of Psychology), the University of Maastricht (Faculty of Psychology) and the University of Hasselt (Faculty of Architecture). Their research spans critical themes including design-mediated collaborative decision-making, sexual expression in residential care, and design as a mediator in palliative care.

Previously, Niels led HOMEDEM, a Marie Curie Doctoral Network focused on creating better home environments for people with dementia through interdisciplinary research in design, policy and health economics. He is a core team member and lecturer for the European Master in design and care, Response-Able Futures, and currently coordinates URBAN, a project developing a European portfolio for care, design, and sustainability next to being a member of the KU Leuven 'Care & Care Policy' group. A veteran of the Participatory Design Conference (PDC) and a member of the CoDesign editorial board, Niels is a frequent reviewer for top-tier journals and conferences. He has experience as a researcher and lecturer in Belgium, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Denmark.