Prof. R.H.H. Engelbert (Raoul) PhD

Raoul Engelbert obtained a degree in Physiotherapy from HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht in 1980. From 1980 to 1986 he was employed in the Physiotherapy Department of the former Gooi-Noord hospital in Naarden, and from 1986 to 2007 in the Paediatric Physiotherapy and Paediatric Exertion Physiology Department of the Utrecht University Medical Center (Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (WKZ; directed by Prof. P.J.M. Helders), where he started out as a paediatric physiotherapist and in 1998 was appointed senior paediatric physiotherapist and researcher.

In 1996 Raoul completed his doctorate with a thesis titled Osteogenesis Imperfecta in childhood; clinical and functional characteristics. In 1996-2007 he was enrolled in the Professional Master's in Paediatric Physiotherapy, and in 2000-2007 in the MSc in Physiotherapy Studies, both in Utrecht. He has further been a member of the conference committee of the Dutch Association for Pediatric Physical Therapy (NVFK; 2003-2011), chair of the NVFK 2008 international conference committee, and member of the International Scientific Committee on Osteogenesis Imperfecta, the medical advisory council on Osteogenesis Imperfecta and the medical advisory council on Ehlers-Danlos syndromes.

From 1 January 2008 to 2016 he was professor of Physiotherapy in the Faculty of Health at the AUAS's Amsterdam School of Health Professions, as well as the Physiotherapy programme manager, with overall responsibility for 1,300 students (including 200 internationals) and 75 lecturers.

Raoul has been a senior staff member at the AUMC's Rehabilitation Department (AMC-UvA location) since 2011. As from 2013, he has also been both core professor and professor by special appointment of Physiotherapy, with an endowment from the Royal Dutch Association for Physiotherapy (Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap Fysiotherapie; KNGF). His research focuses mainly on the transition of care, which he pursues in the designated priority areas of Complex Care and Urban Vitality at the ACHIEVE Centre for Applied Research. He is the faculty's director of research (professor primus inter pares), with responsibility for research policy, and holds the Polifysiek portfolio, thus overseeing the academic triad linking teaching, patient care and research in the academic workplace. He has also been chair of the KNGF's Advisory Board since 2014.

Raoul has given some 200 lectures, guest lectures and poster presentations in the Netherlands and abroad. He also supervises physiotherapy and medical students and doctoral candidates. He has authored and co-authored 115 peer-reviewed articles as well as many publications in Dutch.

PhD candidates:

Mark Scheper MSc, Maarten van Egmond MSc, Janneke de Vries MSc, drs. Jesse Aarden, Juultje Sommers MSc, Mel Major MSc, Robin Kwakman MSc, Hedwig van der Meer MSc, Sven Geelen MSc, Jantine van den Helder MSc, drs. Jessica Warnink and Thijs Meulenbroek MSc. A number of prospective PhD candidates have also been appointed.