Diana van Doorn
Research Officer - Farm Safety, Health and WellbeingResearch Interests
My research explores the occupational, social, economic and structural factors that shape farmer safety practices, health behaviours and wellbeing. These factors are central to the social sustainability of farming and to the productivity, resilience and long-term viability of farm businesses. I use an integrated approach, combining behaviour change, implementation science and knowledge transfer to develop and evaluate interventions that improve farmer health, wellbeing and safety and strengthen advisors’ capacity to support these outcomes in practice. My work is strengths-based, building on the resources and capabilities that farmers already possess, with a strong emphasis on translating evidence into practice, policy and measurable impact.
Current Projects
SafeHabitus (Horizon Europe)
SafeHabitus is a Horizon Europe project led by Teagasc that brings together 20 partners from 13 countries to improve farm health and safety across Europe. The project recognises that improving farm safety is not only about raising awareness, but also about understanding and influencing the factors that shape everyday farming practices and decision-making.
My research focuses on strengthening farm health and safety knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS), supporting multi-actor collaboration, and examining how policy, governance, advisory services and stakeholder networks influence safety and health outcomes. I lead the Irish Community of Practice, bringing together farmers, advisors, policymakers and industry stakeholders to identify priority challenges and practical solutions. I also contribute to comparative research across 11 EU Member States, examining farm health and safety governance and how successful approaches can be adapted and transferred across countries.
Safer by Design (DAFM-funded research programme).
Safer by Design is a four-year research programme involving Teagasc, UCD and Animal Health Ireland that aims to develop a systematic, evidence-based approach to improving farm safety. The programme uses stakeholder-led prioritisation and behavioural research to identify priority safety challenges and understand why some safety practices are adopted while others are not. Drawing on behaviour change theory, it examines the capabilities, opportunities and motivations that influence farmer decision-making.
A central element of the programme is strengthening advisors’ capacity to support farm safety through approaches such as motivational interviewing, helping to create more effective conversations about risk, safety and behaviour change. Findings will inform the design, piloting and evaluation of targeted interventions and practical tools for use within advisory, education and policy programmes.
Safes: Assessing the availability, suitability, and acceptability of mart-based health service delivery for reaching hard-to-reach farmers.
SAFES is a four-year Walsh Scholarship PhD project commencing in October 2026 in partnership with Teagasc, UCD, the IFA and Croí. The research will examine geographic and cultural barriers to healthcare access among Irish farmers and evaluate alternative delivery models, including livestock marts, as settings for reaching farmers who are not engaging with existing health services. The project will also develop a framework for monitoring farmer health and wellbeing as part of agricultural social sustainability.
Education
Bachelor of Law, Hogeschool van Utrecht, Netherlands, specialising in medical and health law. Thesis: ‘Formal Complaint Law and the Partnership of Doctors: Who Is Responsible?’
BA (Hons) Applied Social Studies, SETU Carlow. Thesis: ‘The Introduction of the National Quality Standards for Residential Care for the Elderly in Ireland: Has It Improved the Quality of Care?’
Master’s by Research, SETU Carlow. Thesis: ‘Assessing the Effectiveness of a Health Promotion Initiative Targeted at Irish Farmers’
PhD, SETU Carlow. Thesis: ‘Assessing the Effectiveness of a Gendered Approach to a Behaviour Change Programme Designed to Improve the Health Status of Irish Livestock Farmers’; supervised by Dr Noel Richardson, Dr David Meredith, Dr John McNamara, and Professor Catherine Blake