About

Carla van der Voort is a neuroscientist, author and mother of two.

After navigating the traumatic premature births of both her children, she decided to step away from formal academic research to take a much-needed pause.

Writing a book about her family's journey became her way of processing the trauma and reaching out to others. Now, embracing her role as an "unwilling expert," Carla has transformed her scientific background into a platform for prematurity advocacy. She is a fierce proponent of family-centered care, neuroprotective literacy and the establishment of libraries within all Neonatal Intensive Care Units as a standard of care.

This book represents her most personal contribution to the scientific world: a mission to make complex neurological and clinical information accessible to parents in their darkest moments. 

To support families directly, Born Strong is provided to NICUs, and all profits from its sale are donated to organizations dedicated to advancing prematurity research and care.

Carla lives in the Netherlands with her husband, Job, and their two children, June and Jack.