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Five Leiden professors installed as Medical Delta professors

On 2 November, nine professors were simultaneously inaugurated as ‘Medical Delta Professor’ at Leiden University, LUMC, Delft University of Technology, Erasmus University and Erasmus MC. With an appointment at a minimum of two of these five academic institutions, they combine technology and healthcare in their professorship.

The appointed professors from Leiden University are Marco van Vulpen (LUMC, Delft University of Technology & Erasmus MC), Andrea Evers (Leiden University, Erasmus University & Delft University), Jaap Harlaar (LUMC, Delft University of Technology & Erasmus MC), Marcel Reinders (LUMC & Delft University of Technology) and Andrew Webb (LUMC & Delft University of Technology).

Medical Delta is a partnership between Leiden University, LUMC, Delft University of Technology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University and four universities of applied sciences in Zuid-Holland. Its aim is to realise technological solutions for sustainable healthcare.

The professors have each earned their spurs in research at the cutting edge of health and technology. Examples include the use of new techniques to determine the cause of cardiac arrhythmia, how cartilage can be repaired using technology and how e-health can help with rehabilitation or disease prevention. The official inauguration follows their earlier appointment as Medical Delta professors. During the inauguration, the professors presented their research and answered questions from young researchers.

Check out the overview of the nine Medical Delta professors and their research.

Sustainability of quality healthcare system

The sustainability of the health care system is under pressure, the Scientific Council for Government Policy concluded in a recent report (in Dutch). Dutch people are using more and more expensive care. If this continues, in 40 years’ time it will cost the public almost three times as much as it does today. And one in three people will have to work in care, compared to one in seven today.

‘Technological solutions can relieve some of the burden and improve the quality of care,’ says Professor Frank Willem Jansen, Chair of Medical Delta. ‘Provided that there is good cooperation between scientific disciplines and between science and the healthcare profession. The nine Medical Delta professors who were officially installed today show that it is possible. Whether this relates o prevention, making the right diagnosis at an earlier stage, combatting common diseases such as arthritis or cancer or improving the health of groups in the population: technology can play an important role if the doctor and the engineer understand each other well.’

Interdisciplinary research

Since its establishment in 2006, Medical Delta has three times appointed ‘Medical Delta professors’. Before their appointment, the professors are appointed to posts at two or more of the five affiliated academic institutions and are made members of the alliance’s Scientific Council. In total, there are 22 Medical Delta professors. In this capacity, they conduct interdisciplinary research at the cutting edge of technology and healthcare and are ambassadors for cooperation in the field of medical technology.

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