Prof Bastiaan R. Bloem (1967) is a consultant neurologist at the Department of Neurology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands.He received his MD degree (with honour) at Leiden University Medical Centre in 1993. He obtained his PhD degree in 1994, based on a thesis entitled “Postural reflexes in Parkinson’s disease”. He was trained as a neurologist between 1994 and 2000, also in Leiden. Prof Bloem received additional training as a movement disorders specialist during fellowships at “The Parkinson’s Institute”, Sunnyvale, California and the Institute of Neurology, London. In 2002, he was appointed Associate Professor in Neurology. Also in 2002, he became Medical Director of the Parkinson Centre Nijmegen (ParC), which was recognised in 2005 as an NPF centre of excellence for Parkinson’s.
Together with Dr Marten Munneke, he developed the regional ParkinsonNet concept, which in 2006 received an award for the best health care innovation in the Netherlands. Prof Bloem is President-elect of the International Society for Gait and Postural Research, and serves on the editorial board for several national and international journals. His main research interest focuses on coordination of motor control, with emphasis on Parkinson’s disease. Various projects evaluate gait, balance and falls, in particular the epidemiology, pathophysiology and development of innovative therapies. Additional projects focus on improving allied health care for Parkinson patients, including the implementation and evaluation of complex changes in health care. Prof Bloem has published over 500 scientific papers and book chapters.
Read a profile of Professor Bloem published in the Journal of Parkinsons’ Disease.
Watch Bastiaan Bloem’s TED talk on YouTube: