Jan Groothuis appointed Professor of Rehabilitation medicine

Rehabilitation specialist Jan Groothuis has been appointed Professor of Rehabilitation medicine at Radboud university medical center / Radboud University. Additionally, he has been named Head of the  Department of Rehabilitation at Radboudumc. In his scientific research, he focuses on the rehabilitation of adults with neuromuscular diseases, with a particular emphasis on participation in society.

Jan Groothuis trained as a rehabilitation specialist at both Radboud university medical center and Sint Maartenskliniek. Since 2012, he has been affiliated with Radboudumc as a rehabilitation physician, working in both patient care and scientific research. With his appointment as department head, he will also lead the Rehabilitation Department, a multidisciplinary team that includes rehabilitation medicine, physical therapy, speech-language therapy, and occupational therapy.

‘This is a department with many areas of focus,’ Groothuis explains, ‘with key areas including muscle diseases, Parkinson's, hereditary movement disorders, and amputation and prosthetics in both patient care and education and research. Most of our care is organized within specialized centers, where we see many patients in the outpatient clinic. We work closely with departments such as Neurology, Orthopedics, Surgery, and Pediatrics. Our paramedics are also involved in areas such as oncology and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, we provide clinical care in all departments at Radboudumc.’

600 different muscle diseases

Jan Groothuis aims to broadly support research in the field of rehabilitation medicine through his professorship. Over the past years, he has specialized in the treatment of neuromuscular diseases, such as facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), congenital myopathies, neuralgic amyotrophy (NA), Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and mitochondrial diseases. His research primarily focuses on functional aspects, such as the function of the shoulder and arm, chewing, swallowing, and breathing. ‘There are about 200,000 people with a neuromuscular disease in the Netherlands. Although there are approximately 600 different neuromuscular diseases in total, we see similarities in the rehabilitation treatments we can offer.’

He has demonstrated that a multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach is effective for patients with neuralgic amyotrophy (NA). This condition causes acute severe pain in the shoulder, arm, and/or hand, followed by paresis of the muscles in those areas. Furthermore, he is researching the natural progression of rare congenital myopathies and is working on innovative care approaches for muscle diseases such as FSHD and myotonic dystrophy. He is also involved in research on swallowing rehabilitation after head and neck tumors. As a Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, he aims to continue and expand these studies.

New medications

Jan Groothuis anticipates significant progress in the treatment of neuromuscular diseases and hereditary movement disorders in the coming years. While there are still no medications available for most neuromuscular diseases, much is currently in development. This means there will be more studies involving patients, with healthcare professionals closely involved. ‘We need to prepare for an increase in clinical trials,’ says Groothuis. ‘As healthcare professionals focused on functioning and participation, we will be involved. With potential treatments that could slow down a disease, we will see more patients with new care needs.’

Therefore, Groothuis aims to establish a clinical trial center for neuromuscular diseases and hereditary movement disorders, in close collaboration with the Neurology Department. ‘We want to further organize the care network for neuromuscular diseases within the Netherlands, as described in the Integrated Care Agreement. Because the number of patients is increasing and new medications may become available, it is essential to keep care accessible and affordable. This requires good preparation,’ Groothuis states.

Collaboration

Collaboration with other institutions is therefore extremely important, Groothuis explains. ‘We have cooperation agreements with the Sint Maartenskliniek in Nijmegen and Klimmendaal rehabilitation center in Arnhem.’ For myotonic dystrophy and hereditary movement disorders, there is collaboration within the Academic Alliance with Maastricht UMC. Groothuis hopes to expand this collaboration in the coming years. ‘Additionally, I want to further strengthen the Rehabilitation Department, where our colleagues can excel and perform their academic duties. This way, we can provide the best care for patients.’

Career

Jan Groothuis studied Biomedical Health Sciences and Medicine at Radboud University in Nijmegen. He obtained his PhD in 2011 with research on autonomic functions in spinal cord injury (thesis title: ‘Vascular control in individuals with autonomic failure’). He specialized as a rehabilitation physician at Radboudumc and the Sint Maartenskliniek in Nijmegen, after which he joined the medical staff of the Rehabilitation Department at Radboudumc in 2012. Here, he also serves as the program leader for neuromuscular diseases. He is a board member of the Dutch Center for Neuromuscular Diseases and a medical advisor for various diagnostic workgroups at the Dutch Neuromuscular Diseases patient organisation. His appointment as professor is retroactively effective from August 1, 2024, for a period of five years.

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