1. Current Status, Position

As Chief Medical Technology Officer Prof Dr Frank Rademakers (MD, PhD) is responsible for the diagnostic departments of the hospital (radiology, nuclear medicine, pathology, forensic medicine, medical genetics and laboratory medicine) as well as for the Pharmacy and IT. He has an overall responsibility for innovation and as such supports the contacts with external partners in research and industry.

Trained as a cardiologist Prof Dr Rademakers spent 2.5 years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, USA working in cardiac physiology and imaging. He worked as a consultant cardiologist at the University Hospital in Antwerp before moving to the KU Leuven in 1998. After 7 years in the clinical department of cardiology, he became medical director of the hospital until 2015 when he moved into his current position. During this 10 year period as medical director Prof Dr Frank Rademakers was very much involved with the first JCI accreditation of the hospital in 2010 and it’s reaccreditation in 2013.

2. Education

Prof Dr Frank Rademakers completed his medical studies at the University of Antwerp in 1979. He then trained as a cardiologist between 1979 and 1984 in Antwerp. Besides this Board certification in cardiology he also obtained a Board certification in Cardiac Rehabilitation in 1985 and in that same year the FMGEMS certificate. Prof Dr Rademakers acquired a degree in Sports Medicine from the KU Leuven in 1986. In 1991 he was awarded a PhD degree by the University of Antwerp.

3. Research Area

Prof Dr Rademakers’ research interest is primarily in cardiac physiology and imaging using echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. More specifically the topic is left ventricular mechanics and perfusion, mainly in ischemic heart disease. In line with his function of medical director the accreditation process another area of research developed regarding organization of health care both as processes within the hospital (OR, medication) and more generally about health care systems and quality. While the latter area was developed mainly practically and educationally, Prof Dr Rademakers added several publications in this field to the 100+ peer reviewed publications in cardiology and physiology.

4. Conflict of interest: none