Jenny van der Steen is an epidemiologist researching how to improve care at the end of life of people with dementia and their family caregivers. The research uses quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, often employing parallel methodological and international work. Ongoing research includes development and evaluation of different strategies and tools for advance care planning, and advance care planning in dementia in both the nursing home and community settings.

She leads the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) task force on advance care planning in dementia, developing a white paper to conceptualize advance care planning in dementia, to promote inclusiveness and to provide guidance for practice, policy and research.