Edwin van Beek's Biography

Edwin van Beek, SINAPSE Chair & Director, Clinical Radiology & Clinical Research Imaging Centre, University of Edinburgh

Professor Edwin van Beek graduated from Erasmus Medical School, Rotterdam, NL in 1987. His subsequent career saw him work in the UK, Amsterdam (PhD and Radiology speciality training), and then back in the UK (University of Sheffield - MEd). He established a successful chest MRI programme, studied PET imaging at King's College London to help establish PET imaging in Sheffield, and was involved in pulmonary hypertension and lung cancer groups.

In 2004 he took up the position of professor of Radiology, Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa (USA), where he developed a clinical service for Cardiac CT Angiography and worked on CT based methods for identification and quantification of lung diseases. He obtained his full medical license in Iowa during this time.

In 2009 he took up his current post, with an emphasis on quantitative imaging in cardiovascular, chest and PET imaging. His focus is on incorporating quantification of disease with both morphology and functional assessment.
He is on ESR Subcommittee Imaging Biomarkers, and has a similar role for National Cancer Research Institute (UK).

He published extensively and has more than 250 peer reviewed articles, 450 abstracts, 3 books and more than 30 book chapters. He has been active in numerous multidisciplinary research groups (EU, USA, UK) and he is on the editorial boards of J MRI (deputy editor), World J of Radiology, and ISRN. He is an active member of ESR, ESTI, ESCR and currently President of IWPFI (which will have its meeting in Edinburgh in 2015). He is also on the Annual Programme Planning Committee of ISMRM (until 2017 meeting).

In addition to his academic career, Professor van Beek has also developed a successful business model offering clinical trial support, from inception to protocol development and execution of imaging-based clinical trials. Following his first start-up company, which was sold, he has transferred a subsequent business to the UK (QCTIS UK Ltd). With the advent of imaging biomarkers, there is excellent growth potential for a company like this.

Another area of interest would be related to alpha and beta testing of both novel software as well as hardware in relation to imaging in its broadest sense. This would tie in well with the University of Edinburgh's Bioquarter development, and would be of potential interest for both small and large-scale companies.

Edinburgh, August 4th 2014