“We are facing a paradigm shift in radiotherapy, moving from ‘elective’ to an ‘ablative’, more surgical-like, approach, with fewer treatment fractions. This is enabled by on-board imaging with optimal contrast between tumor and normal tissues, on-line AI-based contouring, on-line treatment planning and decision loops to enable a daily new treatment plan. Several innovations which enable such a tailored and personalized approach are clinically introduced, like the MRI-linac and proton therapy with advanced on-board CT. Here, the patient especially benefits.”
Research focus
My research focuses on the development and clinical introduction of new radiotherapy techniques, such as the MRI accelerator and proton therapy, especially in the context of determining the clinical value, like in quality of life, clinical outcome, capacity, or health technology assessment.
Scientific career
Current positions and membership
- Medical director of HollandPTC
- Professor in radiotherapy at Leiden UMC, Erasmus MC, TU Delft and Medical Delta
- Chair of the research consortium Leiden UMC, Erasmus MC and TU Delft
- Adjunct professor of radiotherapy and a member of the medical staff at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas
Past positions and education
- Head of the radiotherapy department at UMC Utrecht, where a 1.5 Tesla MRI linear accelerator was developed.
- Chairman of the international consortium, ATLANTIC, for the global introduction of the MRI accelerator.
- Specialization in Radiation Oncology at the University of Utrecht, appointed professor in 2011.
Inaugural lecture entitled ‘The end of radiotherapy’, describing implementation of innovations and improving the care paths in oncology. - PhD research at the University of Utrecht on ‘Hyperthermia for prostate cancer’ (2003)
- Medicine at the University of Amsterdam (VUmc)
Publications
- Inaugural speech The end of radiotherapy, Utrecht 2012
- Inaugural speech Critical Mass, Delft, 2019
- See pub med for an overview of publications