prof. dr. Frank Erik de Leeuw

About Frank Erik de Leeuw

Frank-Erik de Leeuw is a professor in cerebrovascular disease, with an emphasis on young stroke and cerebral small vessel disease. 

Clinically he works as a vascular neurologist at the department of Neurology of the Radboud University Medical Centre. His main interest in on causes and cognitive consequences of cerebrovascular disease in the young and elderly. There is a broad spectrum of cerebrovascular disease ranging from acute symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhages and cerebral infarcts to the more chronic white matter lesions and microbleeds, the latter usually going clinically unnoticed. Central in his research are clinical observations, that are being translated to an applied research question. The subsequent answers are taken back to the clinic. Cognitive and behavioral dysfunction and recovery after cerebrovascular disease are central in his research in which neuroepidemiology, neuroimaging and neuropsychology provide the methodological backbone of the often large cohorts studies that have been founded by the group. 

De Leeuw is the founder and principal investigator of:
- RUNDMC study, a prospective study on causes and consequences of cerebral small vessel disease (baseline started in 2006). 
- FUTURE study, the worlds’ largest study with the longest follow up on causes and consequences of young stroke (baseline started in 2009). 
- ODYSSEY study, a nationwide multicenter prospective cohort study on on causes and consequences of young stroke (baseline started in 2013). 

In addition he participated in several, both investigator and industry initiated, clinical trials and cohort studies (ESPRIT, PASS, DIAGRAM, MRCLEAN, PSI, PERFORM and DUST).

Education

• 1981-1987 Secondary school (Atheneum-B, Carolus Clusius College, Zwolle)
• 1987-1991 University (Medical Biology, Utrecht University)
• 1991-1995 University (Medicine, Utrecht University)
• 1995-1998 MSc Clinical Epidemiology (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam)
• 1995-1998 Promotion (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam). Title thesis: Determinants or cerebral white matter lesions. A longitudinal population based MRI study
• 1999-2004 Specialization Neurology (UMC Utrecht)
• 2003 Fellowship Cognitive Neurology (Alzheimer Center, VUmc)

Personal prizes & awards

• 2012 - Small vessels, big trouble. VIDI innovational grant from ZonMW
• 2007 - Dementia and small vessel disease. Clinical fellowship from ZonMW
• 2004 - Diffusion tensor imaging in cerebral white matter lesions. Fellowship of the Dutch Brain Foundation
• 2004 - European Neurological Society Research Award

Additional Functions

• Member of the ministerial working group advising fitness to drive during dementia (2006-2007)
• Member of the editorial board Aging Health (2006-2008)
• Member of the Dutch Brain Foundation developmental stroke research program (2010)
• Member of the scientific advisory board of the foundation "young stroke" to promote scientific research
• Member of the Clinical Audit Board of the Dutch Association of Neurology
• Member of the CVA benchmark indicator development, representative of the Dutch Society of Neurology
• Chairman of the scientific meeting of the neurovascular working group (Dutch Society for Neurology)
• Member of the European Stroke Organization