Prof. dr. Vissers

Pijnbestrijding

Prof. dr. Vissers
Hoogleraar Pijn en Palliatieve Geneeskunde
UMC St. Radboud te Nijmegen 

Professor Vissers is head of the Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine at the Radboud University, Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands. He is working in the 3 academic missions: top clinical patient care; education in medical sciences for trainees, fellows in pain and palliative medicine and post graduate training; and finally in research. 

After his magna cum laude graduation as a doctor in medicine at the Antwerp University, Belgium, he started his specialisation in anaesthesiology. He was recognised as a specialist in anaesthesiology by the Belgian Medical Board of Anesthesiology, in May 1993.  During his training as an anaesthesiologist he was also trained in intensive care medicine and cardio-anesthesiology. In his first year as a staff member at the University Hospital Louvain, Professor Vissers predominantly worked in cardio-anaesthesiology and pain management. The latter experience motivated him to specialise in pain medicine in Nijmegen, with Prof. dr. L. Booij and Prof. dr. B. Crul. As of 1995 he was a staff member of the Hospital East-Limburg, Genk, Belgium, where he created and headed the multidisciplinary pain center. He was visiting consultant for the palliative care unit and team. He was also the consultant responsible for home care organisation in Palliative Care “Pallium”. Professor Vissers obtained his  degree of doctor in the medical sciences PhD in 2004 at UMC St Radboud Nijmegen, with his thesis ‘Factors influencing neuropathic pain behavior in the chronic constriction injury model in rodents’ Promoters: Prof.dr.B. Crul, Prof.dr. H. Adriaensen, Prof.dr.T. Meert. 

Since 2005 he has been appointed Professor in Pain and Palliative Medicine at the Radboud University Nijmegen. He is head of the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, the Palliative Care and Support team and the pain and palliative knowledge center. He is also chairman of the Research Institute of the Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine. 

His main research interests are (1) the translational approach and research of neuropathic pain, (2) the practical and ethical application of palliative sedation, (3) proactive care and identification of patients in a palliative trajectory, (4) quality indicators of the organisation and practice of pain and palliative medicine, (5) e-health and telemedicine in transmural care programmes and (6) decision making in palliative care and end-of-life. He succeeded in obtaining external funding resources for major research projects in pain and palliative care. 

Professor Vissers is the author of approximately 80 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to more than 10 textbooks. He contributes to local education with regular articles in Belgian and Dutch journals for physicians and for the lay public. He is frequently asked to speak at international congresses and is a promoter of different post-doctoral and PhD theses. 

He is member of the educational committee of EFIC, the educational committee of WIP, and the executive board of WIP. He is chairman of the EFIC task force on the European community collaboration. He is the first president of the Dutch Society of Palliative Care Professionals (Palliatief). He is also a member of most national and international associations of pain physicians and palliative care professionals.