Bas Bloem

In the world of Parkinson's, Bas Bloem is something of a rockstar. The Dutch neurological giant (in more ways than one) joins the Movers and Shakers in the Notting Hill pub for this special interview, where he talks about his personal journey into PD research, his suspicions on the causes of the illness, and his pathological optimism for the future of the condition.

By Podot

Each week Rory Cellan-Jones guides us between the laughs and moans in the pub. To read Rory's summary of this week's episode click here.

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Guest Biography

Professor Bas Bloem

Professory Bas Bloem is a neurologist and professor of Neurological Movement Disorders at Radboudumc. In 2002, he founded the Radboudumc Center of Expertise for Parkinson's & Movement Disorders, aiming to provide multidisciplinary, patient-centered care for individuals with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders. Together with Marten Munneke, he co-founded ParkinsonNet in 2004, a national network of over 4,000 healthcare professionals that has improved care and reduced healthcare costs. This model has been internationally recognized and awarded, including the Value-Based Healthcare Prize.

His research focuses on Parkinson's disease, particularly gait and balance disorders, patient-centered care, and the use of wearable sensors and artificial intelligence. Since 2018, Bloem has also investigated the link between Parkinson's and exposure to environmental toxins. In 2022, he received the prestigious Stevin Prize for his impactful research, which is now advancing preventive strategies for Parkinson's disease. He co-authored the book The Parkinson Pandemic to raise awareness of the need for prevention.

Professor Bloem has authored over 1,000 scientific publications, supervised 64 PhD candidates, and ranks in the top 1% of the most cited scientists worldwide. His video for the University of the Netherlands has been viewed over 1.2 million times.

Watch Bas Bloem Ted Talks

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