About Bart De Strooper

Since 2016
Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute

This new function brings the responsibility to create a world-class dementia research institute in the UK. I have established the hub at University College London and five additional centres at King’s College, Imperial College, Cambridge, Cardiff and Edinburgh. The focus is fundamental cutting-edge research into the causes and basic care of dementia.

Since 2013
Professor at the Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK

This position provides the bridge between my molecular and functional research and the world class genetics and clinics of UCL in the field of neurodegenerative diseases I have contributed successfully to the application for and the start of the ARUK institute for drug discovery at UCL.

Since 2010
Co-founder and director of LIND, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience & Disease

In this function I have brought together more than 40 principal investigators together with their research groups (>400 active scientists) in Leuven. I have helped to foster collaboration, meetings (the LIND seminars), and to increase the support for neuroscience in Leuven. This has generated a bridge between basic science and the neurological clinic (memory clinic, the ALS and Parkinson clinic and the imaging clinic. I have also set up ‘Stellar’, which is a new funding scheme by Janssen pharmaceutics to support academic translation of research into neurodegenerative diseases (started in Leuven, and is now BENELUX wide).

Since 2002
Full Professor in Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven

Since 1998
Group leader at VIB, Leuven

I have established an excellent and successful research group working on various aspects of dementia with focus on Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. We are studying mechanisms of disease, identify drug targets and work closely together with industry to make novel therapies for these dreadful diseases.

2007–2017
Departmental director of VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Leuven

Since my appointment I have been able to recruit 10 new group leaders from all over the world. I have made our center an internationally recognized center for neuroscience that received great praise when evaluated by international panels of top researchers (last time in 2015, written report can be provided on a confidential basis). Under my directorship the budget of my department has doubled, the publication record has been triplicated and the interaction with industry has quadrupled. The department now consists of >220 researchers and staff representing >30 nationalities. I am also member of the direction committee of VIB (>1500 researchers).

2005–2010
Chairman of the Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven

In this position I have reorganized and strengthened dramatically the department in three major research programs and modernized its management. I have also clarified its financial situation and improved scientific communication and interaction. The department consists of 30 professors and >400 staff and is mixed clinic, university and VIB institute.

2002–2006
Assistant Director of the Department of Molecular Genetics, VIB

2000–2002
Professor, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven

1998–2000
Senior Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven

1996–1998
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven

1995–2000
Research leader, National Fund for Scientific Research (NFWO), Belgium

Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Belgium
Laboratory of Experimental Genetics, Head: Prof. Dr. Fred Van Leuven

1994–1995
Postdoctoral Researcher, Laboratory of Prof. Dr. Carlos Dotti

European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany

1990–1995
Postdoctoral Assistant, National Fund for Scientific Research (NFWO), Belgium

Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven
Laboratory of Experimental Genetics, head: Prof. Dr. Fred Van Leuven

1985–1989
Research Assistant, National Fund for Scientific Research (NFWO), Belgium

Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven
Laboratory of Cell Adhesion, Head: Prof. Dr. Jean-Jacques Cassiman

1994–1995
Postdoctoral Researcher
Laboratory of Prof. Dr. Carlos Dotti
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany

1991
PhD in Biomedical Sciences
KU Leuven, Belgium
“Biosynthesis and expression of the human α5β1-integrin fibronectin receptor”

1988
Master of Medical Sciences
KU Leuven, Belgium – Summa cum Laude

1985
Doctor in Medicine (MD)
KU Leuven, Belgium – Summa cum Laude

1981
Bachelor in Medicine
KU Leuven, Belgium – Magna cum Laude

2020
UCB prize awarded by the Queen Elisabeth Medical Foundation (Belgium)

2020
Elected fellow of the Royal Academia of Medicine, UK

2018
The Brain Prize, awarded by the Lundbeck Foundation (Denmark)

2018
European Grand Prix for Research (France, awarded by the Fondation pour la Recherche sur Alzheimer)

2013
Fellow of AAAS, awarded by American Association for the Advancement of Science (USA)

2013
Promoter doctor honoris causa Prof. Dennis Selkoe, February 2, KU Leuven

2011
UCB Award, awarded by Queen Elisabeth Medical Foundation (Belgium)

2008
MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research (USA)

2008
Award of Excellence, awarded by SAO-FMRA (Belgium)

2005
Five-yearly Joseph Maisin Prize for fundamental biomedical sciences, FWO-Flanders

2005
Bristol-Myers Squibb Freedom to Discover Unrestricted Biomedical Research Grant in Neuroscience

2004
Antoine Faes prize for neurodegenerative diseases

2004
Elected EMBO member (European Molecular Biology Organisation)

2003
Promoter doctor honoris causa Prof. Kai Simons, director of Max Planck institute for Molecular cell biology and Genetics, Februari 2, KU Leuven

2003
Alois Alzheimer Award, awarded by the German society for gerontopsychiatry (Germany)

2002
Pioneer Award of the Alzheimer’s Association (USA)

2002
Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick’s, Alzheimer’s and related Diseases, awarded by the American Academy of Neurology (USA)

2001
Marie-Thérèse De LAVA price for research into problems of aging, awarded by the King Baudouin Foundation

2000
EKN Innovation in Neurosciences price given by the Belgian-Dutch society for experimental and clinical neurology

1999
MSD price of the FWO

1999
FEBS price of the German Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie for outstanding research in Biochemistry

1997
Scientific Award of the NFWO sponsored by Pharmacia-Upjohn for research on aging

1995
Award of the Research Council of the KU Leuven

1995
Human Frontiers of Science Fellowship

1994
EMBO Short Term Fellowship

1993
Sandoz Foundation Award for Gerontological Research

1992
Divry Research Fund (1992-1993) for the project: “Generation of a transgenic mouse model for Alzheimer’s Disease”

Summary (July 2020):

• 407 publications since 1988
• h-index 104, 37.103 citations (web of science)
• h-index 118; 52706 citations (google scholar)

Publication list in pubmed

Google Scholar profile

ORCID

Teaching

2011–2013
Molecular pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative diseases, Medical School, KU Leuven

Since 2010
Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Belgium

2010–2012
Lab rotations, KU Leuven

2008
Lectures for the 21st century: De ziekte van Alzheimer: hoop vanuit het fundamenteel wetenschappelijk onderzoek, KU Leuven

2005
Lectures for the 21st century: De ziekte van Alzheimer: hoop vanuit het fundamenteel wetenschappelijk onderzoek, KU Leuven, Belgium

2001–2010
Molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, Medical School, KU Leuven

1998–2003
Ionizing radiation – radiochemical aspects, Medical School, KU Leuven

Since 1997
Seminars in Medical Research, Medical School, KU Leuven

2002–2006
Program director for Biomedical Sciences

In this position, I reshaped the curriculum in two major tracks (‘Research’ and ‘Communication & Management’). I implemented more laboratory training and   fundamental education in the curriculum and I improved the overall quality and the status of this program in the faculty of medicine. I was member of the board of the faculty of medicine at KU Leuven.

PhD training

More than 30 students finished their PhD successfully

Alumni

As head of the Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, I have a long and excellent experience in supervising and guiding young researchers. I have supervised (24) or am supervising (5) PhD students throughout my career and a similar number of postdoctoral researchers and staff scientists.

Four EMBO fellows and 13 Marie Curie fellows have successfully been trained in this laboratory. Several of them have launched excellent careers in industry, administration and academia, including:

• Prof. Annaert (Group leader, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Leuven)
• Dr. Dabrowski (Group leader, Nencki Institute, Warschau)
• Prof. Hartmann (Professor, University of Bonn, Germany)
• Dr. Wakabayashi (Associate professor, University of Tokyo, Tokyo)
• Prof. Hébert (Professor, Laval University, Quebec)
• Dr. Reinhard (Group leader, Lonza AG, Visp)
• Prof. Morais (Professor and group leader, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon)
• Prof Thathiah (Professor at the university of Pitsburg, USA)
• Prof. Chavez-Gutiérrez (Professor and independent group leader at VIB, Leuven, Belgium)
• Dr. Fazzari (Independent group leader at the Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe (CIPF) in Valencia, Spain)
• Prof. Rice (Assistant professor at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, US)
• Dr. Arranz (Group leader at Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience)

• Dr. Salta, group leader at the Dutch Brain Institute, the Netherlands

• Dr. Mancuso, group leader at the VIB Center in Antwerp

I take great pride in training the next generation of Alzheimer’s researchers.

Since 2000        Society for Neuroscience

Since 2004        The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Since 2004        EMBO member

Since 2010        American Physiological Society

Since 2011        American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Since 2001        Academia Europaea

A selection of the Scientific advisory boards, and National and international meetings and commissions that I lend my scientific expertise to

Project reviewer

• International Alzheimer Association, initial review board, USA
• EMBO long and short term fellowship applications
• DOC (Interdisciplinaire onderzoeksprogramma’s KU Leuven)
• Henry Smith Charity
• Alzheimer Forschung initative
• EMBO applications for Young Investigators
• MINERVA Foundation
• FRS-FNRS
• ERC Starting Grants evaluation panel on Neurosciences and neural disorders (2011 – 2014)
• Welcome Trust
• US-Israel Binational Science Foundation
• NCL Foundation
• CREA Research Projects, KU Leuven
• Rosetrees Trust
• Foundation for Dystonia Research (FDR)

Scientific advisory board – Evaluation Committee

• Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
• Therapy Evaluation Committee for DIAN TU
• Alzheimer’s Association International Research Grant Program
• 12th International Conference on Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases, Nice, France
• Evaluation Board – Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Switzerland,
• Scientific Advisory Committee for Wellcome/MRC multicentre PD grant, UK, London,
• External referee – Scientific evaluation of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
• Scientific Advisory Board of the EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research
• Janssen Pharmaceutical Alzheimer’s disease program, USA
• DZNE, Germany

Grant and promotion evaluations

• Evaluation of promotion applications for the medical faculty, University of Zürich, Switzerland
• Selection committee ‘Strategic Projects 2013’
• Expert advice at the mid-term review session at the Brain Mind Institute at EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
• Evaluation of promotion applications for the Brigham And women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• Evaluation of applications  for a tenure track position at the Université Laval, Canada
• Evaluation of promotion applications for the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, USA
• Evaluation of promotion applications for the Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, USA
• Evaluation of applications for a tenure track position at the faculty of health sciences, University of Eastern Finland
• Evaluation of applications for a tenure track position at the Taub Institute at Columbia University Medical Center, USA
• Evaluation of promotion applications for the Massachusetts General Hospital, Neurology Department, Boston, USA
• Expert referee for MRC Institute, Cambridge, UK

Conference organization

• Organizer of the Brain Mosaic VIB conference, Leuven, 2016 and 2019
• Organizer of the EMBO Neurodegeneration Symposium, Heidelberg, June 14-17 (2017)
• Chair GRC ‘Neurobiology of Brain Disorders’, Girona, Spain, August 7-12 (2016)
• Chair at the 40th Congress of the Federation of the European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), “Degeneration and ageing of the nervous system”, July 6 (2015)
• Chair at the FBRI’s Workshop on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, Kronberg, Germany, June 12-13 (2015)
• Vice Chair of the Gordon Research Conference “Neurobiology of Brain Disorders”, Girona, July 27th – August 1 (2014)
• Vice-president of Scientific Program Committee Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) (2011)

In the five most recent years, I have been on the following editorial boards:

• Senior editor – EMBO Molecular Medicine (since 2008)
• Board of Reviewing Editors – eLife (since 2012)
• Advisory Editorial Board (AEB) member – EMBO Journal (since 2011)
• Editorial board of Journal of Cell Science (since 2008)
• Editorial board of Cell Death and Disease (since 2009)
• Associate editor – Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (2010 – 2011)
• Editorial board of Journal of Molecular Neurodegeneration (since 2011)

Reviewer for:

• ACS Chemical Biology
• Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy
• Biological Psychiatry
• Brain
• Cell
• Developmental Cell
• Disease models and mechanisms
• eLife
• EMBO Journal
• EMBO Molecular Medicine
• EMBO Reports
• European Journal of Neuroscience
• Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery
• FEBS Journal
• Journal of Alzheimer’s disease
• Journal of Biochemistry
• Journal of Cell Biology
• Journal of Cell Science
• Journal of Neurochemistry
• Journal of Neuroscience
• Laboratory Investigation
• Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
• Molecular biology of the cell
• Molecular Cell
• Molecular Neurodegeneration
• Molecular Psychiatry
• Nature
• Nature Chemical Biology
• Nature Cell Biology
• Nature Medicine
• Nature Neuroscience
• Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
• Neural Plasticity
• Neurobiology of Aging
• Neurobiology of Disease
• Neuron
• New England Journal of Medicine
• PloS Biology
• Proc Natl Acad Sci
• Science
• Science Translational Medicine
• Structure
• TIPS
• Trends in Biochemical Sciences
• Trends in Neuroscience

Book

'Tegen het vergeten' (Dutch) published at Pelckmans in 2022

Philantropy

Lectures and support for several local fundraisers, e.g. for ‘Stichting Alzheimer Onderzoek’ and ‘Wandeling Tegen Dementie’.

Media

Regular media appearances in Belgium, the UK and beyond.
Read more

Advocacy

Bart De Strooper is strongly committed to science policy and the future of young researchers. As a member of the academic council he was involved in the development of a reformed doctoral training program which was implemented in the Doctoral School Biomedical Sciences, and later he was program director of the training program of Biomedical Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine (2002-2006). He also was cofounder of the Belgian Association for Science ‘Focus Research’ which organized the general assembly of science in Belgium, and the big manifestation for a better science policy in 1993 which resulted in a complete overhaul of Flemish science policy.

TBC

Bart De Strooper is married to A. Van Damme, MD, and proud father of four daughters.