Dual Medical Delta appointment for six Leiden professors and one lecturer
Six professors and one lecturer from Leiden University have officially been appointed Medical Delta professors or lecturers. They were inaugurated simultaneously on 14 November at the Medical Delta Conference in Rotterdam.
Medical Delta is an alliance between Leiden University, the LUMC, TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, four universities of applied sciences from Zuid-Holland (Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam and Inholland), governments, healthcare organisations and businesses. Medical Delta aims to realise technological solutions for sustainable healthcare.
Ambassadors for collaboration
In their research and work, the new Medical Delta professors have proven themselves as connectors between scientific disciplines and between science and practice. Their appointment is not only recognition but also means they act as ambassadors for further collaboration in health and technology. This year is the first time that lecturers from the universities of applied sciences have been appointed as ‘Medical Delta lecturer’.
The seven Leiden professors and lecturer
Douwe Atsma (LUMC, TU Delft) is a cardiology professor. He focuses on innovative cardiovascular healthcare concepts at the LUMC and is Professor of eHealth at TU Delft. He coordinates the development of remote digital care and is committed to the development of a continuum of healthcare and prevention by establishing transmural healthcare pathways supported by eHealth and AI.
John van den Dobbelsteen (TU Delft, LUMC, Erasmus MC), hoogleraar Medical Process Engineering aan de TU Delft, richt zijn onderzoek op het verbeteren van interactie tussen operatiepersoneel en medische technologie. Hij is opleidingsdirecteur Klinische Technologie, de gezamenlijke opleiding van de TU Delft en het LUMC.
Johan Frijns (LUMC, TU Delft) Professor of Medical Process Engineering at TU Delft, focuses on improving interaction between surgical staff and medical technology. He is the director of the Clinical Technology programme, the joint TU Delft-LUMC programme.
Annette van der Helm-van Mil (LUMC, Erasmus MC) is Professor of Rheumatology, with a particular focus on early arthritis. She is an internist and rheumatologist at the LUMC. Within Medical Delta she aims to generate innovative methods to make the early detection of RA accessible and ‘manageable’, thus facilitating the cost-effective implementation in clinical practice.
Coen Rasch (LUMC, TU Delft) is Professor of Radiotherapy at Leiden University and head of the LUMC radiotherapy department. He is the chair of the Dutch Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (NVRO). His research focuses on radiotherapy in the widest sense of the word. Together with the Faculty of Applied Sciences at TU Delft, he conducts innovative research in the field of radiotherapy and proton therapy.
Amir Zadpoor (TU Delft, LUMC) is Professor of Orthopaedics at the LUMC, with a particular focus on orthopaedic implants. He holds the prestigious Antoni van Leeuwenhoek chair in Biomaterials and Tissue Biomechanics at TU Delft. He researches the prevention and treatment of prosthesis infections and the design and production of patient-specific 3D-printed implants.
Sanne de Vries (De Haagse Hogeschool, LUMC) is a lecturer in Healthy Lifestyle in a Supporting Environment at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and conducts research into a healthy lifestyle in the young. This entails working with future and present professionals and with the target group. They develop innovative products, programmes and services together with the aim of promoting physical activity and healthy food choices.
Alongside the inauguration of new members, Medical Delta also presented a new vision, mission and strategy, focusing on ‘transdisciplinary collaboration’. This is not just between scientific disciplines or between academia and healthcare organisations, government and business but also between healthcare professionals and patients.
Starting in mid-2024, Medical Delta’s new programme will focus on societies and on the themes of ‘Healthcare’, ‘Prevention’, ‘Transformation’ and ‘Sustainability’.