In 1991, Pieter Roelfsema obtained his PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 1995, after completing his medical exam and studies in Groningen. In 2002, Dr. Roelfsema has been the Dutch Brain Institute (KNAW)'s general director since 2007. He was appointed Professor at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam in 2005, and was also granted the title of professor in 2012 at the AMC in Amsterdam. Dr. Roelfsema's studies encompass visual perception, learning and memory in the visual system in humans, artificial neural networks, and laboratory animals. His research focuses on the ways that nerve cells in different brain areas cooperate in tasks which require conscious perception. Roelfsema wants to learn how cells in brain areas cooperate and how they form during the learning of a new task. An major goal of Dr. Roelfsema's lab is the development of a visual prosthesis which would allow those with acquired blindness to regain simple vision. He received many influential and important grants including a NWO-VICI grant, (2008) and the ERC-Advanced grant (2014). Roelfsema also coordinates NeuroTech-NL, and two large NWO grants in the neurotechnology field: NESTOR and INTENSE.

Experience

• CSO & Co-Founder (2019 - present)

  Phosphoenix

• Director (2007 - present)

  Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience

• Professor (2002 - present)

  Vision and Cognition Group

  Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience

• Director (2018 - 2022)

  Neuronal Stimulation for Recovery of Function (NESTOR)

• Postdoctoral Researcher (1995 - 1997)

  Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany

Education

• PhD (1991 - 1995)

• MD (1991)

  University of Groningen