MOVE

Prof. dr. G. Kwakkel
VU University Medical Center
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Boelelaan 1117
1081 HV Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (20)
Room:
Email: g.kwakkel@vumc.nl

Professor Gert Kwakkel started his career as a physiotherapist in the department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the VU University Medical Centre (VUmc) of Amsterdam in 1982. Subsequently, he entered the master’s programme of Human Movement Science at the Vrije Universiteit in 1989 and obtained an MSc degree in 1993. Based on a grant from the Dutch Heart Association in 1994, he proceeded to conduct doctoral research in the Department Physical Therapy at the Vrije Universiteit. For this purpose he researched the effects of intensity of upper and lower limb training after stroke. He published more than 90 papers in leading scientific journals in the field of neurology and rehabilitation medicine with an average citation-index of 22 per paper. World wide, Prof. Kwakkel gave more than 50 invited key note lectures in the field of neurorehabilitation. Currently, he has a chair of Neurorehabilitation at the VUmc in Amsterdam. In particular his chair is dedicated to translational research in the field of stroke rehabilitation, Parkinsons’ disease and multiple sclerosis. Currently, Professor Kwakkel is a directorate board member of the Research Institute MOVE and European Managing Editor of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair (NNR). Professor Kwakkel is president of the Dutch Society of Neurorehabilitation (DSNR; www.neurorehab.nl). Professor Kwakkel has participated in several national and international steering committees for the development of guidelines on stroke management. He received in the previous decade several grants, among which EU-5th framework programme QLK6-CT-2001-00120 and the 3rd rehabilitation programme of ZonMw entitled: Explaining Plasticity after stroke.

KEY WORDS: NeuroRehabilitation, Translational Research, Neuroplasticity, Prognosis, Outcome

RESEARCH SUPPORT

Ongoing research projects
2009-2013 Title: Contrasting the clinical effects and underlying mechanisms of unilateral and bilateral upper limb training after stroke: The ULTRA trial. Grant from MOVE (Amount 192.058 Euro).

2008-2013   Title: Explaining Plasticity after stroke, ZONmw subsidieprogramma: revalidatiegeneeskunde (Amount: 1.376,660 Euro, grant no.: 89000001).

2008-2012  Title: Effects of a structured task-oriented training program to enhance walking competency after stroke. (Amount: 409.587 Euro, grant no: 17088.2402)

2006-2009  Title: Early prediction of outcome after stroke (EPOS)’ Grant from the Dutch Society of Physiotherapy (KNGF), (Amount: 39.750 Euro)

2004-2010  Title: ‘Efficacy of multidisciplinary treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis: a randomised controlled trial.’ Application for a pilot project grant for multiple sclerosis research from the Stichting MS Research, Stichting MS Research Voorschoten The Netherlands (Amount: 43.400 Euro’s)

Completed research projects
2004-2009   Title: “Efficiency of physiotherapeutic care for Parkinson’s disease (PD)”ZONMw, Combined researched Applicant CLA van Herwaarden, UMC St Radboud, principal investigator Dr. B. Bloem in collaboration with Dr. G. Kwakkel and Dr. H. Berendse. (Amount 443.565 Euro.)

2002-2005 Title: ‘Rehabilitation in Parkinson’s Disease: Strategies for Cueing’ (RESCUE)
European Commission, Research Directorates General Shared Costs, RTD proposal (Amount: 1.61 million Euro’s). (QLK6-CT-2001-00120)

2001-2004 Title: ‘Ontwikkeling, publicatie en registratie KNGF-Richtlijn CVA.’ Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Fysiotherapie (Amount: 110.000 Euro’s)

2000-2005 Title: ‘Non-invasive ventilatory support during exercise in patients with COPD’, The Dutch Asthma Foundation  (Amount: 248.948 Euro’s).

1994-1998 Title: ‘Dynamics in functional recovery after stroke.’ Dutch Heart Foundation, (project reference no. 93.134) (Amount: 204.202 Euro’s)

SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Nijland RH, van Wegen EE, Harmeling-van der Wel BC, Kwakkel G; EPOS Investigators. Presence of finger extension and shoulder abduction within 72 hours after stroke predicts functional recovery: early prediction of functional outcome after stroke: the EPOS cohort study. Stroke. 2010 Apr;41(4):745-50.

Munneke M, Nijkrake MJ, Keus SH, Kwakkel G, Berendse HW, Roos RA, Borm GF, Adang EM, Overeem S, Bloem BR; ParkinsonNet Trial Study Group. Efficacy of community-based physiotherapy networks for patients with Parkinson’s disease: a cluster-randomised trial. Lancet Neurol. 2010 Jan;9(1):46-54.

Kwakkel G, Kollen B, Twisk J. Impact of time on improvement of outcome after stroke. Stroke. 2006 Sep;37(9):2348-53.

Schiemanck SK, Kwakkel G, Post MW, Kappelle LJ, Prevo AJ. Predicting long-term independency in activities of daily living after middle cerebral artery stroke: does information from MRI have added predictive value compared with clinical information? Stroke. 2006 Apr;37(4):1050-4.

Kwakkel G, B. Kollen, E. Lindeman. Understanding the pattern of functional recovery after stroke: facts and theories. Invited review for J. Restorative Neurology & Neuroscience 2004;22:281-299.

Kwakkel G, van Peppen R, Wagenaar RC, Wood Dauphinee S, Richards C, Ashburn A, Miller K, Lincoln N, Partridge C. Wellwood I, Langhorne P. Effects of augmented exercise therapy time after stroke: A meta-analysis. Stroke 2004;35:2529-2536.

Kwakkel G, Wagenaar RC, Twis¬k JWR, Lankhorst GJ, Koetsier JC. Effects of intensity of lower and upper extremity training after a primary middle cerebral artery stroke: A randomised clinical trial. Lancet 1999;354:191-196

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
2010–present  Directorate Board member of the Research Institute MOVE.
2009 –present  Member of advisory committee for assigning chairs of the directory board of  the VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam 
2008–present Chair Neurorehabilitation, VU University Medical Center/VU University.
2003–present Senior researcher Rehabilitation Medicine and Sports, Utrecht University Medical Center (The Netherlands)
2003–present  Senior lecturer, Faculty of Human Movement Science, VU University Amsterdam
2003–present  Visiting professor, Faculty of Health, Social work and Education, University of Northumbria (UK)