Scientific advisors
Prof. Frank van Bel, MD, PhD, Scientific Advisor
Frank van Bel is a full professor and director of the Department of Neonatology of the Medical University Center Utrecht in Utrecht, The Netherlands. His research concerns mechamisms of perinatal brain damage and, related to this issue, neuroprotective strategies involving pharmacological neuroprotection as well as neuronal regeneration of manipulated stem cells. He is, among other research projects, PI of 3 funded projects on "Regeneration of brain damage using autologous stem cell transplantation" (p9 mice); Pharmacologic neuroprotection after hypoxia-ischemia investigated in the rat (p7) and mice (p9) pup" and "Long term effects of neonatal corticoid treatment" (clinical follow-up of 15-20 y old ex-premies) respectively. Besides his directorship of the Department of Neonatology, he is also member of the Management Team of the Division of Mother & Baby, including the Departments of Obstetrics, Neonatology, In Vitro Fertilisation and Gynaecology, and the PsychoNeuroImmunology Laboratory and has various teaching tasks. He further was chief-editor of the "Dutch Ultrasonoor Bulletin", of the "European Journal of Ultrasound" and of the "Dutch Journal of Paediatrics". Currently he is a member of the Editorial Boards of "Neonatology", "Current Paediatric Reviews" and "Anales de Pediatria" (Spanish). He is reviewing many manuscripts of various international peer-reviewed journals. Professor van Bel is member of the American Society of Paediatric Research and European Neonatal Brain Club and has various professional connections with other European and American research groups in the perinatal field (Gothenburg; Copenhagen, Zürich, Leuven (Belgium), Sienna (Italy), Los Angeles (USC) and the University of Stanford.
Floris Groenendaal
Floris Groenendaal finished High School 'Gymnasium Erasmianum' at Rotterdam in 1977, and Medical School of the Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1984. From 1984-1986 he worked at the Institute Physiology I of the Erasmus University Rotterdam to defend his PhD thesis: "Perinatal hypoxia and visual functions in infants and children" in 1988. From 1986-1991 he was trained in pediatrics in the Sophia Children's Hospital in Rotterdam. His fellowship neonatology was divided between Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, and Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht. Since Apr.1993 he is staff neonatologist of the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital/University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. In 1994 he spent his post-doc period at the Department of Physiology of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA. The main focus of his scientific research is: early detection of neonatal brain injury (including MR techniques) and neuroprotection. He has been involved in many PhD studies, and has obtained grants from different sources. Publications cited in PubMed include 168 papers. He is member of many professional societies.