Walls of secrecy

 

We are proud to present our latest project, funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant. This project commenced in 2025 and will run for a period of 5 years, in collaboration with the Department of Law, Society and Crime of Erasmus University Rotterdam. 

This research aims to understand how, where and why medical/legal businesses facilitate, conceal and launder illegal transplants and assesses the implications for anti-organ trade responses.

The aims will be addressed through online research, ethnographic fieldwork and studies of the most recently prosecuted cases across the globe. The project is guided by a unique theoretical framework that combines notions from criminology, transplant medicine and medical ethics.

 

Job alert! 

We have launched the recruitment process, together with Erasmus University's Department of Law, Society and Crime for 2 talented PhD students to join our team. Both candidates must have a master’s in a discipline that is relevant to this project such as criminology, anthropology or sociology and they must have experience conducting qualitative/ethnographic fieldwork into hidden crimes.

 

PhD candidate 1 will study how, where and why medical, and other legal businesses and persons, interact with ‘illegal’ players in facilitating illegal organ transplants. The research questions are:

1. Which ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ organizations and persons facilitate illegal transplants?
2. How can the interactions and relationships between these institutions and persons be described?
3. What are the stages in the crime commission process of an illegal transplant procedure?
4. Where, why and how are illegal transplants prepared and carried out?
5. How and where can illegal transplant activity be identified, prevented or disrupted?

The full description for PhD Position 1 can be found here. You can apply for this position here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

PhD candidate 2 will study how medical, and other legal businesses and persons participate in concealing, laundering and sustaining illegal organ transplant activity. The research questions are:

1. Where, why and how are illegal organ transplants concealed and laundered?
2. Which ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ institutions and persons conceal and launder illegal transplants?
3. Which types of laundering and concealment are identified?
4. What medical, social, cultural or other factors contribute to the trade’s sustainment?
5. How can concealment and organ laundering be identified, prevented or disrupted?

The full description for PhD Position 2 can be found here. You can apply for this position here.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The supervising team for both students consists of:

• Prof. Dr. Marc Hemmelder (first supervisor)
• Dr. Robby Roks (second supervisor)
• Dr. Frederike Ambagtsheer (co-supervisor)

 

The application deadline is 4th July 2025.
The starting date for both positions is 1st October 2025.

The students will work together closely. They will be employed by Erasmus MC and will also work from Erasmus University's Department of Law, Society and Crime.