Prof. Matthias Theobald (1960), Germany
Director of the Department of Hematology and Van Creveld Clinic
60 hours per week
A logical step
Being a Professor of Medicine since 2003 and, since 2004, the Medical Director of the Department of Hematology & Oncology at the Johannes Gutenberg University Hospital in Mainz, Germany, the next logical step in my career was to become head of an academic Department of Hematology myself. This was primarily to gain more independence in shaping and structuring the clinical, research and educational operation of a state-of-the-art academic department. Having had the opportunity to become the Director of the Department of Hematology either at one of the German university hospitals or at the UMC Utrecht, I eventually decided to come to the Netherlands.
Better options for our patients
Thanks to their highly motivated staff members, scientists, nurses, technicians, and administrative personnel, the Department of Hematology and Van Creveld Clinic is well known for its excellence, particularly in the fields of allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation, multiple myeloma, hemostaseology and thrombosis. The strong scientific environment provides us with almost unique opportunities to collaborate with numerous leaders in their field. With a number of biotech companies located closely by, this creates the critical mass required to translate the progress made in our understanding of biologic mechanisms governing health and disease into novel and better diagnostic and therapeutic options for our patients.
A unique, satisfying experience
Being a hematologist gives me the opportunity to cure patients suffering from malignant and nonmalignant diseases or to extend their life expectancy while improving their quality of life. When this happens, and it does so quite frequently, it is a unique, satisfying experience. It is likewise an experience I very much wish to share with students. In my opinion, students and residents should be able to take part in current biomedical research at an early stage in their education. As far as clinical and laboratory research is concerned, it is my understanding that an ideal mentor and academic teacher lets his group members stand out as independent scientists. Naturally, this too is a challenge in itself. My vision is to see the Department of Hematology of the UMC Utrecht where it belongs: a renowned place for academic hematology on the national and international map.